The directive about changing the situation by Air Marshal Aneke will find much support in likely Nigerians who are desperate to witness a more aggressive and effective military action to combat the escalating insecurity in the country.
Over the years, the citizens have been observing the terrorists, bandits, and armed groups acting with unbelievable boldness, raising the question on whether the state still enjoys a monopoly on the use of force.
The reiterated call to fly smarter and strike harder can give some oxygen to the hope that the Nigerian Air Force is recutting its strategy not only in terms of fire but also in terms of intelligence and accuracy.
However, as history has demonstrated, military power is not sufficient to ensure permanent peace. Unless there is interaction with the ground troops, appropriate intelligence collection, and a clear civilian protection program, further airstrikes will be viewed as transient wins in a protracted war of shifting fronts.
Nigerians do not want just a demonstration of might but that of strategy. It is a positive move that the Air Force is concentrating on intelligence-led and joint work, but it needs to be accompanied by transparency, discipline, and visible difference to the communities that have endured too long.
Outside the battlefield, the government is required to put resources into solving the underlying causes of insecurity, poverty, failure of governance, and local grievances that contribute to radicalization.
When the renewed energy of the Air Chief is translated into the areas of coordination, accountability, and trust in the community, then maybe Nigeria can start moving toward reacting to threats to restoring peace.
Nigerians are waiting anxiously but wary that this time around the talk would be followed by actual deliveries.
