Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, the Chief of Army Staff, affirmed that the Nigerian Army possesses both the capacity and moral strength to fulfill its constitutional mandate, emphasizing that no legal task lies beyond its reach. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Third Quarter Chief of Army Staff Conference in Abuja, he highlighted the army’s progress toward self‑sufficiency in defence production and praised troops for their commitment and sacrifices across various theatres of operation, including the recently concluded general elections. He urged soldiers to maintain this tempo in defending the nation.
Yahaya called on commanders to identify and nurture personnel with research potential, encouraging greater effort in research and development to address contemporary challenges. “I have no doubt that we are on course towards achieving self‑sufficiency in defence production,” he said, noting a renewed push in army research and development to meet current needs. He reminded everyone that “we are men of honour” and must perform their duties with courage and complete loyalty.
Regarding the upcoming May 29 hand‑over parade, the COAS stressed the need for collective effort: “We must put all hands on deck to ensure that the event becomes a flagship of Nigerian Army parades.” He credited the army’s operational successes to the joint efforts of its personnel and urged consolidation of these gains to eradicate terrorism and other nefarious activities from the country.
General Yahaya emphasized command responsibility, urging commanders to think “two down,” provide thorough supervision, and closely monitor the behaviour of deployed personnel, rewarding or sanctioning them as appropriate. He called for a renewed focus on basic tactics and fieldcraft, insisting on detailed briefings and debriefings before and after operations. Additionally, he stressed the importance of securing equipment, implementing measures for the safe keeping and accounting of arms and ammunition, and ensuring that commanding officers take full responsibility for their units and proactively lead them.
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