Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu has advocated battle-hardened training for cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), the premier military training institution, in order to meet modern warfare realities.
The army chief gave the charge when he received the Commandant of the NDA, Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye, at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.
“Intensify cadet training driven by purposeful leadership, discipline, character, courage and strategic thinking to bridge gaps in military operations,” Shaibu said.
He stressed the need to strengthen research centres, particularly the NDA Department of Military Science, as a strategic step to boost the National Defence Industry and enhance indigenous capacity for military innovation and self-reliance.
The COAS added that a robust research framework would provide the intellectual backbone required for a modern, responsive and technologically advanced fighting force.
He further advocated for a curriculum overhaul that reflects contemporary security challenges, with emphasis on night training, physical fitness, artificial intelligence and other emerging warfare domains.
“These measures would ensure that young officers are fully attuned to the realities of modern battlefields and equipped with the warrior ethos and battle-oriented leadership skills required to drive my Command Philosophy:
“To Advance the Transformation of the Nigerian Army into a More Professional, Adaptable, Combat Ready and Resilient Force Capable of Decisively Discharging its Constitutional Responsibilities Within a Joint and Multi-Agency Environment.”
Shaibu pledged “full support” to the commandant in achieving those objectives, reaffirming his commitment to ensuring that the Nigerian Defence Academy produces officers who are strategically sound, operationally competent and fully prepared to meet the evolving security demands of the nation.
In his remarks, the commandant solicited sustained support to effectively realise the vision and mission of producing competent, disciplined and professional officers capable of safeguarding Nigeria’s security interests.
Olatoye assured that he would build on the legacies and structures established by his predecessors.
He congratulated the COAS on his appointment by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The commandant expressed profound gratitude to the leadership of the military for the confidence reposed in him to lead the nation’s premier military training institution, describing the NDA as the “training factory” for future officers of the armed forces.
In related news, Commanders of the Combat Service Support (CSS) Corps of the Nigerian Army have commenced a four-day operational visit to Headquarters Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) as part of sustained efforts to improve the operational effectiveness and combat readiness of troops through strengthened logistics and medical support.
The team comprised Commander Corps of Supply and Transport (CCST), Maj.-Gen. Nansak Shagaya; Corps Commander Ordnance (CCO), Maj.-Gen. Abdullahi Ibrahim; Commander Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (CC EME), Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Adereti and Commander Corps of Medical (CC Medical), Brig.-Gen. Innocent Enwuchola.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Shagaya said the purpose of the visit was to conduct an operational logistics assessment across the North East theatre to evaluate the current capacity to sustain ongoing and future operations.
