COAS Tasks Soldiers To Lead New Formations With Professionalism

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged soldiers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and operational excellence as they prepare to serve in the Nigerian Army’s newly established divisions, formations and units.

He gave the charge on Friday, 7 August 2026, during the graduation ceremony of the Advanced Infantry Training Programme, code-named Exercise RESTORE HOPE X, at the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATC), Kachia, Kaduna State.

The COAS in a statement by the Army Spokesperson Colonel Appolonia Anele, described the programme as the flagship of the Nigerian Army’s post-basic infantry training framework, deliberately designed to sharpen combat proficiency, strengthen the warrior ethos and prepare soldiers for the complex realities of contemporary military operations.

Shaibu noted that the graduation comes at a defining period in the ongoing transformation of the Nigerian Army, which is currently undertaking one of the most deliberate force expansion and capability enhancement initiatives in its history.

He disclosed that following the approval of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the restructuring of the Nigerian Army, additional divisions, formations and units have been established to optimise force disposition and improve operational responsiveness to the nation’s evolving security threats.

He explained that many of the graduating soldiers would constitute the nucleus of these new formations and are expected to translate their training into operational effectiveness.

The Army Chief urged the graduands to justify the significant investment made in their training by demonstrating exceptional professionalism, sound judgment and unwavering commitment to mission accomplishment.

He encouraged them to remain physically fit, mentally agile and technologically proficient, continually adapt to emerging threats, embrace innovation and uphold the highest standards of discipline, respect for the rule of law, protection of human rights and strict compliance with the rules of engagement throughout their careers.

The COAS expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his support to the Nigerian Army’s operational, training and administrative requirements, describing the President’s strategic guidance and continued investment as instrumental to the Service’s ongoing transformation and force expansion.

He stressed that sustained investment in realistic, mission-oriented training remains fundamental to building a highly skilled fighting force capable of achieving decisive operational success across all theatres.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Training (Army), Major General Valentine Okoro, described Exercise RESTORE HOPE X as a critical pillar of the Nigerian Army’s training architecture that has consistently produced highly motivated, combat-ready soldiers who have distinguished themselves across various theatres of operation.

He noted that the comprehensive training programme exposed trainees to realistic operational scenarios, tactical operations, marksmanship, field craft, combat endurance, leadership development and counter-insurgency operations, while significantly enhancing their confidence, decision-making ability and battlefield competence.

He further added that the exercise has strengthened institutional capacity by standardising post-basic infantry training, refining instructional methodologies and promoting continuous improvement across the Nigerian Army’s training establishments.