The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has said that more emphasis will be placed on training personnel to achieve the desired operational outcomes.

Mr Shaibu said this on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the COAS Annual Conference 2025, which was held from December 15 to 18 at Nebo Hall, Abalti Barracks, Ojuelegba, Lagos State.

He said the conference was to serve as a medium to critically assess the Nigerian Army’s operational and administrative performance throughout 2025 with a view to consolidating plans for 2026.

“Arising from our deliberations, the Nigerian Army will immediately begin to rejig its training, operations, and other administrative and logistics concerns.

“This is to further align with my command philosophy, which aims to advance the transformation of the Nigerian Army into a more professional, adaptable, combat-ready, and resilient force capable of decisively discharging its constitutional responsibilities within a joint and multi-agency environment.

“Going forward, my grand plan for a total overhaul of our schools’ training curricula will be codified, as I believe that realistic training directly influences operational outcomes,” Mr Shaibu said.

He said the Army Headquarters, through its training department, would drive mission-specific, focused training while conducting a holistic review of training across all Nigerian Army schools.

“We shall be making radical but informed changes to our training and operational activities in 2026 for the Special Forces School to optimally conduct its training,” the COAS said.

According to Mr Shaibu, the intelligence brief during the conference affirmed that the army’s operating environment was increasingly becoming more complex.

“This evolving threat spectrum necessitates that we enhance our capabilities in intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance, as well as in cyber operations.

“In addition, current regional dynamics with the attendant instability, coupled with the global shifts in the character of warfare, require that we continuously learn, adapt and innovate at all levels.

“While we play our part as an army, we will continue to leverage the timely interventions of our country’s political leadership for our military hardware and software procurement,” he said.

The COAS said the army would continue to advance the promotion of a culture of innovation and technological integration at all levels.

“In line with our welfare commitments, I shall continue to build on the efforts of past chiefs of army staff in addressing the crisis of accommodation shortages.

“I have directed that all ongoing residential accommodation projects be completed in good time and allocated to personnel, while new ones are to be initiated across barracks in all the divisions.

“As a stopgap measure, the Nigerian Army will be investing in a more comprehensive spread of renovation works in all our barracks,” Mr Shaibu said.

He said that while efforts to alleviate existing accommodation shortfalls are ongoing, he would continue to strike a balance by also securing post-service housing for our soldiers.

“As part of my commitment to this major welfare drive, I will be in Ibadan, Oyo State, tomorrow for the commissioning of our Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers, Akobo Project, and the Post-Service Housing Development Limited Shopping Complex in Eleyele,” the COAS said.

Mr Shaibu commended and congratulated the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army) and his team for their efforts in organising the conference.

“I assure Mr President and the entire nation of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to the defence and security of our country,” the COAS said.

(NAN)