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The Nigerian Army has graduated 1,182 soldiers from an advanced six-month training programme as the military intensifies efforts to strengthen its response to the country’s changing security challenges.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, listed terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatist activities and transnational organised crime among the major threats facing Nigeria.
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Shaibu spoke on Friday at the graduation ceremony for the 10th batch of the Advanced Infantry Training Programme held at the Nigerian Army Training Centre in Kachia, Kaduna State.
The training was conducted as part of Exercise Restore Hope X and focused on improving soldiers’ ability to operate effectively in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency missions.
The Army chief urged the newly trained troops to combine military effectiveness with respect for civilians and strict adherence to the law while carrying out their assignments.
He stressed the importance of discipline, sound judgment and professionalism, charging the soldiers to maintain the standards expected of members of the Nigerian Army.
According to Shaibu, the programme is an important part of the Army’s post-basic training system and is designed to build troops who can respond effectively to emerging threats.
He said the soldiers must continue to improve their physical fitness, mental alertness, technological knowledge and ability to adapt as criminal and terrorist groups change their methods.
Shaibu also linked the graduation to the ongoing expansion of the Nigerian Army. He said the additional divisions, formations and units approved by President Bola Tinubu would require properly trained personnel, with some of the graduates expected to form the core of the new structures.
The Chief of Training (Army), Maj.-Gen. Valentine Okoro, described the graduation as evidence of the Army’s continued investment in developing highly skilled personnel.
Okoro said the programme has evolved from one initially supported by foreign partners into a training system now largely delivered by Nigerian instructors, who continue to improve its standards.
He noted that graduates from earlier batches had contributed to military operations in different parts of the country.
The soldiers received training in areas including tactical operations, weapons handling, marksmanship, field craft, combat medicine, endurance, leadership and counter-insurgency techniques.
The ceremony ended with practical displays in which the graduating troops demonstrated some of the military skills acquired during the programme.
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