The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to training of its operational commanders toward achieving success in tackling security challenges in the country.
Lagbaja said this at the Inauguration Ceremony and Inaugural Lecture of Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) Course 8/2024 on Friday in Abuja.
He said a nation that placed premium on funding to training its military personnel would spend less to prosecute its wars.
He added that the prime place of training for the army personnel was aptly captured in his command philosophy.
According to him, his command philosophy is “to Transform the Nigerian Army into a Well-trained, Equipped and Highly Motivated Force Towards Achieving our Constitutional Responsibilities within a Joint Environment.”
“To this end I intend to prioritise continuous training of Nigerian Army personnel as a way of producing competent officers and men who can effectively confront Nigeria’s multifaceted security challenges of the current era.
“It is no news that our beloved country Nigeria is currently passing through one of its most trying times in terms of its economy, security, and politics.
“The myriad of security challenges facing the nation are constantly mutating and have defied most known solutions.
“You must be conscious of the fact that as military men, you are prime stakeholders and should not just participate on the sidelines.
“Therefore, as you undergo this course, I challenge you to be courageous and ingenious in bringing viable military options to the table,” he said.
Lagbaja urged the participants to be logical and reasonable in their submissions and be forthcoming with options and strategies that could form part of solutions to the nation’s problems.
He said the inauguration marked the official commencement of engaging academic experience for the 77 participants of the course, which comprised 66 from army, two each from the navy and air force and seven allied participants.
Former Chief of Army Staff and Guest Lecturer, retired Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said addressing the prevailing security challenges required the collaboration of all segments of the society.
Buratai, who delivered a lecture titled, “Military Leadership in a Volatile and Complex Operating Environment,” charged commanders to take ownership of the ongoing war.
According to him, the current environment is so volatile, complex and, of course, ambiguous where so many challenges abound within the current situation, be it economic, political, social, and so on.
“So, the people must take ownership of the fight against all ills in the society, including the banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
“All military commanders must have that leadership quality, command and control and also have that courage, determination and critical thinking,” he said.
The Commandant, AWCN, Maj.-Gen. Ishaya Maina, said the college prided itself as a centre of excellence acknowledged both locally and internationally, with high proficiency in the delivery of professional military education.
Maina said the status was evident in the feedbacks received from its alumni who had continued to record impressive performances in the field.
He expressed confidence that participants of course 8/2024 would continue in the tradition, and even exceed the achievements of participants of previous courses.
“Take note that your participation in this course is coming against the backdrop of myriad of security challenges in our destination, the sub region and, indeed, the world.
“Accordingly, the requirements for highly skilled and motivated operational level leaders capable of performing optimally in joint environment is more pressing than ever before,” he said.
According to the course highlight, there are 77 participants comprising 66 army officers, two each from navy and air force as well as seven participants from Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Congo Brazaville, Togo, Liberia and Eswatini. (NAN)
By Sumaila Ogbaje
