BACKGROUND

1. Air Vice Marshal Michael Nnanye Onyebashi was born on 15 September 1971. He was commissioned pilot officer into the Nigerian Air Force on 17 September 1994 and rose to his current rank in December 2021. Onyebashi is a pilot type-rated on 3 Nigerian Air Force aircraft namely DO228, G222 and C130H. The senior officer holds a Bsc degree in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna as well as Msc in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan.

COURSES ATTENDED

3. AVM Onyebashi has attended several military and professional courses. These include Junior Staff Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji and Senior Staff Course at the Defence Services Command and Staff College Bangladesh. He attended the Primary and Basic Flying Course at the 301 now 401 Flying Training School (FTS), DO228 Aircraft Typerating Course, G222 Typerating and Captaincy Course, C130H Typerating and Captaincy Course, Operations Planning Course BDATT and Qualified Flight Instructors Course. He equally attended the Higher Defence and Strategic Studies Course at the National Defence College (NDC) Abuja, Nigeria from 2016 to 2017. AVM Onyebashi has attended numerous expositions, seminars and workshops within and outside Nigeria.

APPOINTMENTS HELD

4. The senior officer has held several appointments in various units/establishments spanning field and staff appointments. These include OiC Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) Kano, OiC Radar Squadron then 303 FTS Kano, CO BSW 203 MAG IIorin, CO OSW/MAC 203 MAC IIorin and CO 221 Operations Wing 301HAG Ikeja. Others are Staff Officer 2 Operation Support Wing 301HAG Ikeja, Operations Officer then 203 Medium Airlift Group (203 MAG), Group Admin Officer (GAO) 301HAG, Commander National Air Defence Corp (NADC) and Commander 301HAG. He has also served as Instructor Pilot (IP) on G-222/C-130H, Directing Staff and thereafter Director Department of National and Military Strategy (DNMS) at the National Defence College. The senior officer was also Chief of Staff (COS) at the Headquarters Ground Training Command (GTC) and Commandant Air Warfare Centre (AWC) Abuja before the present appointment.

MARITAL STATUS AND HOBBIES

5. AVM Onyebashi is married and blessed with children. He enjoys watching documentary and listening to gospel and inspirational messages.