The Nigerian Army has strengthened its personnel welfare policy by launching a career transition programme designed to prepare senior officers for productive life after service.

According to a statement on Monday by its acting spokeswoman, Apollonia Anele, the Senior Executive Career Transition Programme, Cohort 2, organised by the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, was declared by former army chief Faruk Yahaya.

Mr Yahaya urged officers to see retirement as the beginning of a new chapter rather than the end of their professional journey. He said leadership, discipline, integrity and strategic expertise acquired during military service remained valuable assets that could be deployed in civilian life.

He urged the participants to approach retirement with confidence, strategic planning and optimism.

Army chief Waidi Shaibu said the programme was conceived barely five months ago following consultations on the need for a structured transition framework for senior officers.

Mr Shaibu described the initiative as a landmark welfare intervention aligned with global best practices, saying the army’s responsibility to its personnel extended beyond their years of active service.

According to him, officers should retire not only with statutory benefits but also with the knowledge, resilience and confidence required to succeed in civilian life.

Mr Shaibu said lessons from the inaugural cohort highlighted the importance of mentorship, financial planning, professional guidance and peer learning in preparing officers for retirement.

He added that well-prepared retirees remained valuable national assets capable of contributing to governance, security and socio-economic development.

The director-general of NAHFC, Tariweriye Gagariga, said army officers devoted their most productive years to defending the nation through rigorous training and demanding operations.

Mr Gagariga said retirement could bring significant changes in identity, income and social engagement when not properly planned. He said the SECTP was therefore designed to provide a structured pathway for successful career transition.

The initiative, he added, was consistent with the army chief’s command philosophy, which places personnel welfare, morale and development at the centre of Army policies.

According to the statement, the programme will also help preserve institutional knowledge by enabling retiring personnel to deploy their experience and expertise beyond active service.

It said the initiative was intended to ensure that decades of military leadership, professional competence and strategic insight continued to benefit Nigeria’s security architecture and national development.

“The programme underscores the army’s growing emphasis on personnel welfare as an integral component of military effectiveness, including preparing officers for life and service beyond uniform,” it added.

(NAN)