The Nigerian Army is set to overhaul its training systems and school curricula.
These are parts of efforts to build a more professional, adaptable and combat-ready force, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen Waidi Shaibu, said yesterday.
The Army chef spoke at the closing ceremony of this year’s COAS annual conference in Lagos.
He said the reforms, which will take off next year, would be mission-focused and aligned with the service’s evolving operational environment.
Shaibu announced that special attention would be given to the training and employment of Special Forces and Army Aviation.
The COAS said the Army would undertake what he called deliberate interventions to strengthen the Special Forces School.
He stressed that the Army’s intelligence briefings during the conference showed that the country’s security environment was becoming more complex, requiring enhanced capabilities in intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, and cyber operations.
Shaibu said the overhaul would be holistic and driven by the Army Headquarters through the Department of Training.
According to him, realistic and targeted training remains critical to improved operational outcomes.
“As part of this effort, we will make informed but radical changes to our training and operational activities in the coming year. Special attention will be given to the training and employment of Special Forces and Army Aviation, including deliberate interventions to strengthen the Special Forces School,” Shaibu said.
The COAS explained that regional instability and global changes in warfare demanded continuous learning, adaptation and innovation, adding that the Army would continue to promote technological integration while leveraging government support for critical military equipment.
Beyond training and operations, Shaibu reaffirmed his commitment to personnel welfare, particularly addressing accommodation shortages across barracks nationwide.
The COAS directed that all ongoing residential projects be completed and allocated promptly, while new housing projects would be initiated across Army divisions.
As an interim measure, he said extensive renovation works would be carried out in barracks to ease current housing pressures.
Shaibu also reiterated the Army’s focus on post-service housing, describing it as a key welfare priority.
The COAS said the outcomes of the annual conference would be compiled and circulated shortly to guide implementation in the coming year.
He stressed that the deliberations would shape the Army’s policies and strategies going forward.
