By Harriet Tornguvan
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Shaibu, has announced far-reaching reforms in training, intelligence, operations and personnel welfare as the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference 2025 concluded in Lagos.
Speaking during his closing remarks at the conference held at Nebo Hall, Abalti Barracks, Lagos, the Army Chief said the reforms were aimed at repositioning the Nigerian Army into a more professional, adaptive, combat-ready and resilient force capable of effectively responding to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
In a statement issued by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, Lieutenant General Shaibu noted that the conference provided a strategic platform to review the Army’s operational and administrative performance in 2025, adding that resolutions reached would guide policies and actions in the year ahead.
According to him, the Nigerian Army will immediately realign its training, operational, logistics and administrative processes in line with his Command Philosophy, with a strong focus on joint and multi-agency cooperation.
A major highlight of the reforms is a comprehensive overhaul of training curricula across all Army training institutions.
The COAS stressed that realistic, mission-oriented training remains critical to operational success, disclosing that Army Headquarters, through the Department of Training, will drive mission-specific programmes with increased emphasis on Special Forces and Army Aviation.
“The Nigerian Army will make informed but bold changes to its training and operational activities in the coming year, including deliberate efforts to strengthen Special Forces institutions,” he said.
General Shaibu also drew attention to intelligence briefings presented at the conference, which, he said, reflected the increasing complexity of the nation’s security landscape. He emphasised the need to enhance capabilities in Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR), cyber operations and technological innovation to counter emerging threats.
He assured that the Army would continue to adapt and innovate, while leveraging the support of the nation’s political leadership in the acquisition of critical military hardware and software.
Additionally, the Army Chief reaffirmed his commitment to improving living conditions for troops, particularly addressing accommodation deficits across Army barracks nationwide.
He directed the immediate completion and allocation of all ongoing residential projects, while announcing plans for new housing developments and extensive renovation works as interim measures.
The COAS further disclosed that post-service housing for soldiers remains a priority, citing the commissioning of the Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) Akobo Project and the Post-Service Housing Development Limited Shopping Complex in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He commended the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), members of the conference planning committee and participants for what he described as robust and unprecedented contributions, noting that their inputs would significantly enrich future strategies and policy formulation.
Lieutenant General Shaibu also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his sustained support to the Nigerian Army, reaffirming the Army’s loyalty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
