The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged soldiers graduating from the Nigerian Army’s Advanced Infantry Training Programme to uphold professionalism, discipline and operational excellence as they join newly established divisions, formations and units. Shaibu gave the charge on Friday during the graduation ceremony of Exercise……
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged soldiers graduating from the Nigerian Army’s Advanced Infantry Training Programme to uphold professionalism, discipline and operational excellence as they join newly established divisions, formations and units.
Shaibu gave the charge on Friday during the graduation ceremony of Exercise RESTORE HOPE X, held at the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATC), Kachia, Kaduna State.
The Army Chief described the exercise as a key component of the Nigerian Army’s post-basic infantry training framework, designed to improve combat skills, strengthen the warrior ethos and prepare troops for evolving security challenges.
According to a statement by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, on Friday, August 7, Shaibu said the graduation came at a critical period in the transformation of the Nigerian Army, which is undergoing force expansion and capability enhancement.
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He disclosed that following President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the restructuring of the Nigerian Army, additional divisions, formations and units had been created to improve force deployment and enhance operational response to emerging security threats.
The COAS said many of the graduating soldiers would form the foundation of the newly established formations and must apply their training effectively in the field.
“The graduating soldiers are expected to translate their training into operational effectiveness.”
Shaibu urged the troops to justify the investment made in their training by maintaining high standards of professionalism, discipline and commitment to their duties.
He advised them to remain physically fit, mentally prepared and technologically adaptable while responding to emerging threats.
The Army chief also reminded the soldiers to respect the rule of law, protect human rights and comply strictly with rules of engagement during operations.
“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.”
Shaibu expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for supporting the operational, training and administrative needs of the Nigerian Army, describing the investment as critical to the service’s ongoing transformation.
He stressed that realistic and mission-focused training remained essential to building a capable fighting force prepared to tackle security challenges across the country.
Earlier, the Chief of Training (Army), Major General Valentine Okoro, described Exercise RESTORE HOPE X as a major part of the Nigerian Army’s training structure, saying it had continued to produce combat-ready soldiers deployed across different operational theatres.
Okoro said the programme exposed trainees to tactical operations, marksmanship, field craft, combat endurance, leadership development and counter-insurgency operations.
He added that the exercise had improved the army’s institutional capacity by standardising post-basic infantry training, strengthening instructional methods and promoting continuous improvement across training establishments.
