Lt-Col. Onyechi Anele, has assumed Command as the first female Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army in it over 150 years history.

She assumed office on Tuesday taking over from the outdone Army Spokesman Major General Onyema Nwachukwu during a brief ceremony at the Army Headquarters.

She was appointed acting Director Army Public Relations by the Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen Olufemi Oluyede in a recent posting and redeployment. Lt-Col Anele in her maiden speech thanked the Army Chief for finding her worthy of the historic appointment.

“I assure you and the entire leadership of the Nigerian Army that I will justify this confidence by remaining absolutely loyal, committed, focused and results-driven,” she said.

Anele commended her immediate predecessors, especially my boss, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, for his passion, resilience, and professionalism which laid a formidable foundation and transformed the Directorate of Army Public Relations its enviable state. “Your contributions to enhancing the image and strategic communication of the Nigerian Army are remarkable over the years you served as Director.

Sir, you remain an integral part of the DAPR family, and I will always value your counsel and support,” she added. She commended officers, soldiers, and civilian staff of this great Directorate, for their commitment and appealed for more support.

The Director tasked members of the media, particularly the defence correspondents, “to uphold truth, fairness and responsibility in our engagements for the good of our great country, Nigeria,”. “I pledge to lead the Directorate with transparency, professionalism, respect, and proactiveness. We will continue to tell the Nigerian Army’s story, not just through words, but through actions that reflect honour, sacrifice, responsibility and service, ” she said.

In his remarks, the outgone Director Major General Onyema Nwachukwu took stock of his stewardship at the Directorate in the last four years. “When I assumed this noble responsibility on 16 June 2021, I was fully aware of the enormous expectations that came with it, especially in an era defined by the rapid evolution of the digital media landscape, the proliferation of information channels and the relentless demand for timely, accurate and strategic communication. I knew that to remain relevant and effective, I had to modernize, adapt, and lead the media war from the front.

“Today, I dare to say with confidence that I did not merely react to these challenges, I boldly confronted them head-on with innovation, vision, purpose. One of the major milestones was the retooling of the Directorate with cutting-edge multimedia equipment, positioning us to respond swiftly and professionally to both operational and non-operational media engagements. I ensured the acquisition of modern cameras, editing suites, audio-visual systems and digital communication tools necessary to thrive in the fast-paced global media space”.

He continued “I also recognized the centrality of human capital development. To that end, I facilitated specialized local and international training for our officers and soldiers, exposing them to global best practices in strategic communication, crisis messaging, digital warfare, and media analytics. This has undoubtedly transformed the way we tell the Nigerian Army’s story credibly, and authoritatively,”.

Nwachukwu said the establishment of a fully functional Strategic Communications Centre stands today as a testament to his resolve to institutionalize deliberate and well-coordinated messaging. “This centre has become the nerve hub for synchronized communication efforts across our formations and units,”.