Story by Flight Sergeant Aidoo Obed

Pictures by Warrant Officer Class I Anku Mawuli

The Ghana Air Force (GHAF) has commenced a three-day Strategic Leadership Forum at the Air Force Headquarters on Monday 31 August 2026, under the theme: “Transforming the Ghana Air Force for Future Readiness: Strategic Leadership, Capability Development and Institutional Renewal.”

‎The forum is to create a platform for critical professional engagement and a build up on the recently concluded Officers’ Convention and Warrant Officers’ and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers’ Convention, which provided opportunities for personnel at various leadership levels to examine contemporary challenges confronting the Service and propose measures for improvement.

‎Key areas for deliberation include air capability, aviation safety, fleet modernisation, resource allocation, training, manpower, infrastructure, logistics, administration and organisational development.

‎Addressing participants at the opening ceremony, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Eric Agyen-Frempong, said the forum would provide an opportunity for the leadership of the Ghana Air Force to assess the state of the Service, review progress, confront emerging challenges and determine the strategic direction required to build a more capable, responsive and future-ready Air Force.

‎He noted that the evolving security environment within Ghana, the West African sub-region and beyond coupled with emerging and asymmetric threats, technological advancements, changing operational requirements and limited resources, required the Service to continuously reassess how it organised, trained, equipped and employed its personnel and assets.

‎According to the CAS, the forum would receive briefs from bases, branches and units and critically assess areas including operational readiness, fleet modernisation and acquisition, infrastructural development, personnel and training, logistics and administration and promulgations.

‎Air Vice Marshal Agyen-Frempong stressed that the deliberations should go beyond identifying challenges to producing practical, achievable and sustainable solutions that would strengthen the Service.

‎In her opening remarks, the Chief Staff Officer at the Air Force Headquarters, Air Commodore Sophia Adzo Jiagge said the theme captured the focus of the forum and invited participants to consider not only what was required to meet current responsibilities, but also how decisions being taken today could position the Ghana Air Force to remain capable, responsive and sustainable in the years ahead.

‎Air Commodore Jiagge called for greater coordination and shared understanding across the various levels and branches of leadership, noting that decisions taken within one area of responsibility often had implications for other parts of the Service.

‎The Chief Staff Officer expressed appreciation to the Chief of the Air Staff for the initiative to convene the forum and for his continued support for professional engagements across the various levels of the Service.