The Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) under it’s Indigenous Languages Course has graduated 152 soldiers from formations and units across the country in the three major Nigerian- languages Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
The Indigenous Languages Programme was introduced to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian Army personnel to communicate effectively in at least two of the three major Nigerian languages.
The duration of the course for the 152 soldier was two months.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony on Friday through the Chief of Administration (Army), Maj.-Gen. Isa Abdullahi, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, said that proficiency in local languages would enable personnel of the Nigerian Army to adequately communicate and gather intelligence, thereby boosting their ability to counter and react to threats.
Shaibu urged the personnel to continue to improve on local languages, especially by practicing oral skills at every opportunity.
He said: “Nigerian Army operations are largely intelligence-driven, with the extraction of credible and reliable intelligence being of utmost importance. The collection of intelligence from human sources is usually by interpersonal contact, and this depends for the most part on effective communication with the local populace.
“Effective communication obviously requires some level of proficiency in the local dialect of the environment in which you are operating or employed.
“Proficiency in local languages will therefore enable you to adequately communicate, thereby boosting the ability to counter and react to threats. To this end, I urge you all to continue to improve on your language abilities by immersing yourselves and practicing your oral skills at every opportunity.”
Shaibu charged the participants to use every opportunity available to them to improve on their proficiency level in the languages they had learned or enhanced proficiency at their various level places of employment.
He reminded them you of an annual online language recertification test to ascertain their current proficiency status.
“The results of this test will also confirm your eligibility to continue assessing the pecuniary benefits of the course, as failure will amount to a demanding withdrawal of such benefits.”
Shaibu said Army is at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and insurgency, and has continued to demonstrate unwavering commitment, making profound sacrifices in defence of the nation’s peace, security, stability, and strategic interests.
He said the increasing complex and dynamic nature of today’s threat landscape required a more adaptive and cohesive force, charging the soldiers to uphold the culture of discipline, accountability, and professionalism in their various units and formations.
“Our key focus as an Army, especially at this defining period of our nationhood, must be on enhanced operational effectiveness and good administration. You must all remain mindful of your sacred responsibility to uphold the traditional, custom, and ethical values of the Nigerian Army.
“Adherence to these ideals directly influences our operational effectiveness as an Army, and therefore must be upheld with utmost seriousness,” he said.
Earlier, the Director-General of NARC, Maj.-Gen. James Myam, said the Indigenous Languages Programme was introduced to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian Army personnel to communicate effectively in at least two of the three major Nigerian languages—Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
According to Myam, the initiative aligns with the Nigerian ArmyNigerian Army Language Policy, which mandates personnel to acquire proficiency in indigenous languages to enhance operational effectiveness, build trust with host communities, and support information gathering for intelligence purposes.
“The programme has since become a central feature of the Centre’s annual calendar,” he said, urging the graduating participants to continue practising the languages they learned during the course and to strive for greater proficiency,” he said.
