… Declares open 2026 Combat Support Arms Training Week

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has assured Nigerians that Nigerian  Army  will continue  to provide  better security in the country  which will futher foster national development.

He said that the army was committed to using indigenous innovations to fight insurgency and other violent crimes in the country.

COAS , who spoke with the Guardian after declaring open the 2026 Combat Support Arms Training Week held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom  State capital , with the theme

“Strengthening Combat Support Arms Adaptability and Resilience through Indigenous Innovations for Integrated Operational Support within a Joint and Multi-Agency Framework,”  earlier charged the Combat Support Arms of the Nigerian Army to sustain efforts aimed at building a self-reliant, capable and mission-focused force capable of effectively addressing contemporary security challenges.

COAS who was represented by the Chief of Personnel Management, Major General Adewale Adekeye,  said the training will harness talents already  gotten by the Nigerian Army towards innovation, adaptation, as well as improve  the overall effectiveness of the Army .

The army chief thanked President Bola Tinubu for being ‘strategically committed’ to the provision of logistics and promotion of personnel welfare.

COAS commended the Combat Support Arms for the significant progress recorded in innovation, research, practical problem-solving and the domestication of relevant technologies. He noted that such initiatives reflect the Nigerian Army’s determination to strengthen operational effectiveness through indigenous capabilities and sustainable solutions tailored to the nation’s security realities.

COAS,  emphasized that the theme of the 2026  Combat Support Arms Training , aligns with his Command Philosophy of transforming the Nigerian Army into a more professional, adaptable, combat-ready and resilient force. He urged participants to generate practical and solution-oriented outcomes capable of enhancing ongoing and future military operations.

Speaking with the Guardian on the 2026 Combat Support Arms Training Week the Chief of Military Intelligence (Army), Major General Risku Hedima,  said the  annual training programme is  meant to bring all the combat support arms together to come and review its operations and look at ways of improving,  as well as how to  support the combat arms for the maneuver  arms  for effective operations and mission success.

Hedima, said the forum  engage in brainstorming, sharing of  ideas, as well as   engaging  in evaluation of combat support arms  processes on how to  conduct its  operations better.

“Combat support training is an avenue where we come and we brainstorm in order to come up with better procedures and processes.”  Hedima revealed

Hedima, added that  over the years, the Combat Support Arms Trainings have  strengthened security,  allowed for better output which has helped in  neutralising  more bandits and terrorists,  led to  freedom of  more kidnapped victims,  as well as led to reduction of statistics of attacks upon
troops and the number of casualties recorded.

He  revealed  that decisions and recommendations that will arise from the event, will lead to operational  successes and better output and outcomes, as well as  effective operations that will futher  secure the  nation, to allow citizens to go about their lawful  businesses that will enable growth and development.

His words”  This is a forum that enables us to engage in brainstorming, we engage in sharing ideas, and we engage in evaluating our processes on how we conduct operations. What is expected of us after this training  is to go back and put up and implement the decisions and recommendations that will arise from this particular event, and overall it will lead to operational successes and better output and outcomes from our operations.

These are the necessary ingredients that we normally put into reviewing our processes and procedures so that we can have effective operations in order to secure our nation, to allow citizens to go about their lawful  businesses that will enable growth and development.

Since we have been having this Combat Support Arms Training , It has strengthened security, it has allowed for better output. For instance, we have neutralized more bandits and terrorists, we have freed more kidnapped victims, we have reduced the statistics of attacks upon our troops and the number of casualties recorded.

Combat support training is an avenue where we come and we brainstorm in order to come up with better procedures and processes. So far, so good. Over the years, year in year, our operations have been improved, our outputs have been greater, and we even expect greater outputs at the end of this particular combat support and training”

On his part, the Akwa Ibom State Governor , Pastor Umo Eno , who was represented by
Captain Iniobong Ekong (Rtd), lauded the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their sacrifices in safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity.

The event  featured a Research and Development Exhibition and Static Display showcasing innovative technologies and capabilities developed by the Combat Support Arms.