Here you’ll discover all the ranks in the Nigerian Air Force. In addition, we’ll show you the pictures of their respective logos / badges, which are also referred to as insignias. I

The Nigerian Air Force is the air arm of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It boasts about 10,000 personnel, making it one of the largest in Africa.

Furthermore, the NAF boasts a fleet of several fighter jets, including 12 Chinese Chengdu F-7s, and 11 Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets, 12 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, armed helicopters, and military transport aircraft.

All the officers in the Nigerian Air Force have their unique badges / logos which differentiates their ranks; this is done in order to maintain uniformity & discipline.

The ranks in the Nigerian Air Force are classified into two, namely: Commissioned officers ranks and non-commissioned / enlisted personnel.

As the name implies, non-commissioned / enlisted personnel enter into the Nigerian Air Force through the annual enlistment programme.

This programme is targeted at tradesmen and non-university graduates. Applicants most times undergo more strict training exercises compared to their commissioned counterparts.

Some non-commissioned / enlisted personnel could end up attaining Commissioned ranks, albeit through a lot of hard work.

Graduates of the Nigerian Defence Academy or DSSC/ SSC attain Commissioned Officers ranks after successfully completing their programme.

Read also: Apply now for Nigerian Air Force Direct Short Service Commissions.

Commissioned officers ranks in The Nigerian Air Force and their badges / insignias

Marshal of the Air Force

Marshal of the Air Force is the highest attainable rank in the Nigerian Air Force. However, no Air Force personnel has ever attained this rank in the history of Nigeria. Reason is, it must be granted on honorary grounds and not by promotion. Marshal of the Air Force is equivalent to Field Marshal in the Nigerian Army and Admiral of the fleet in the Nigerian Navy (NN).

Air Chief Marshal

In the Nigerian Air Force, the Air Chief Marshal is practically the highest rank because no Air Force officer has ever been able to rise past it. This position is equivalent to Admiral in the Navy and General in the Army.

Air Marshal

In the Nigerian Air Force, this rank is directly below Air Chief Marshal and directly superior to Air Vice Marshal. It is equivalent to Vice-Admiral in the Navy and Lieutenant General in the Army.

Air Vice-Marshal

A Nigerian Air Vice-Marshal is directly beneath Air Marshal and directly Superior to Air Commodore in rank order. This rank is similar Rear Admiral in the Navy and Major General in the Army.

Air Commodore

Air Commodore is directly below Air Vice-Marshal and above Group Captain in rank order. This rank is equivalent to a Commodore in the Navy and Brigadier General in the Army.

Group Captain

In the Nigerian Air Force, an officer who has attained the group captain rank is a direct subordinate of an Air Commodore and is a direct superior to a Wing Commander in rank order. This position is similar to Captain in the Navy and Colonel in the Army.

Wing Commander

The Wing Commander rank is directly below Group Captain in rank order and directly superior to a Squadron Leader. Compared to other military forces in Nigeria, this rank is similar to a Commander and Lieutenant Colonel in the Navy and Army respectively.

Squadron Leader

In the Nigerian Air Force, Squadron Leader is the rank directly above Flight Lieutenant and directly beneath Wing commander. This rank is identical to Lieutenant Commander in the Navy and Major in the Army.

Flight Lieutenant

Flight Lieutenant is directly under Squadron Leader and right above Flying Officer in rank order. Any officer who has attained this position is similar to a Lieutenant in the Nigerian Navy and Captain in the Nigerian Army.

Flying Officer

The Flying Officer rank, which is similar to Sub Lieutenant in the Navy and First Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army, is the rank directly below Flight Lieutenant. On the other hand, a Flying Officer is a direct superior to a Pilot Officer.

Pilot Officer

Pilot Officer is the lowest rank in the Nigerian Air Force for commissioned officers. A Pilot Officer is directly below a Flying Officer in order of superiority. On the other hand, this rank is higher than that of all the non-commissioned / enlisted personnels. Pilot Officer in the Nigerian Air Force is a similar rank to Midshipman in the Navy and Second Lieutenant in the Army.

To summarise it all, here are the ranks for commissioned officers in the Nigerian Air Force in descending order:

• Marshal of the Air Force
• Air Chief Marshal
• Air Marshal
• Air Vice Marshal
• Air Commodore
• Group Captain
• Wing Commander
• Squadron Leader
• Flight Lieutenant
• Flying Officer
• Pilot Officer
• Warrant Officer

Nigerian Air Force ranks for Non-Commissioned / enlisted personnel

Here are the ranks for non-commissioned / enlisted personnel in the Nigerian Air Force in descending order:

• Air Warrant Officer.
• Master Warrant Officer.
• Warrant Officer.
• Flight Sergeant.
• Sergeant.
• Corporal.
• Lance Corporal.
• Aircraftman/woman.

At the moment, we are not able to provide pictures of the insignias for non-commissioned / enlisted ranks in the Nigerian Air Force. As soon as we’re able to do that we’ll update this post.

putting into consideration the ranks for both commissioned officers and non-commissioned personnel in the Nigerian Air Force, Marshal of the Air Force is the highest rank while Aircraftman/woman is the lowest rank.