The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. T.A Lagbaja, has renewed his commitment to empowering the force through education as Nigeria navigates through contemporary security challenges.
Lagbaja made the commitment on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of combined 3rd and 4th quarter conference of the Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC) in Ilorin.
Lagbaja, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 2 Division, Ibadan, Maj.-Gen. Babatunde Alabi, said the conference offered opportunity for corps to review its activities for further projections.
He said that the ongoing transformation drive of the corps was a testament to its determination towards repositioning the corps for effective performance of its statutory role.
“The NAEC with its rich legacy of impacting knowledge should aspire to be at the forefront of shaping the minds that will lead our army and the nation in general to a better future.
“We will not relent in supporting all Nigerian Army training schools, including those running civil courses administered by NAEC and command secondary schools, towards providing affordable and qualitative education for our personnel and their wards.
“In the same vein, the NAEC will be adequately supported in the performance of other statutory educational roles such as the provision of library, archival and museum services,” Lagbaja said.
The Corps Commander of NAEC, Maj.-Gen. Bello Tsoho, said that the conference was in line with the command policy of the COAS.
“This conference will also serve us with an opportunity of an overview and give a progress report to my officers all geared towards consolidating all the transformation process going on in the Nigerian Army,” Tsoho said.
He explained that among other innovations of the NAEC under his leadership, was the introduction of short courses on watch keeping in collaboration with NAS and NAIC as well as special courses like sign language from NAISET to enhance the communication skills of the Army.
The 3-day conference being held at the Nigerian Army Institute of Science Education and Technology, Sobi cantonment, Ilorin, have the theme: “Consolidating the NAEC transformation process in support of the COAS command philosophy”.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of awards to outstanding officers who participated in different courses and some students of command schools across the country for their performance in the external examination.By Olayinka Owolewa (NAN)
