Come Up With Innovative Ideas To Upscale Approaches Towards Improving Man-Management and Battle Readiness – COAS Charges Commanders

Come Up With Innovative Ideas To Upscale Approaches Towards Improving Man-Management and Battle Readiness – COAS Charges Commanders

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has charged Commanders at all levels to continue to come up with innovative ideas to upscale their approaches towards improving man-management and battle readiness, as lessons learned are key to operational effectiveness. The COAS gave the charge during a one-day Seminar organized by the Army Headquarters Department of Army Transformation and Innovation (AHQ DATI) for personnel of 8 Division/Sector 2 Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY) held at Headquarters 8 Division Auditorium on 6 February 2025. The participants were drawn from 1 and 17 Brigades, as well as 8 Division Garrison.

While delivering his remarks, the COAS said that the seminar is one of the measures emplaced to mitigate the challenges faced by the troops while operating in a volatile, uncertain complex and ambiguous security environment. The COAS was represented by the Chief of Transformation and Innovation COTI (Army), Major General Samson Abai, highlighting the theme titled “Enhancing Operational Effectiveness through the Application of Nigerian Army (NA) Lessons Learned Process and Feedback Mechanism”.

General Oluyede noted that the NA has, over time, continued to review its tactics, techniques and procedures to come up with both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies to tackle the myriad of security challenges facing the country. He emphasised that the place for lessons learnt is key to operational effectiveness in modern warfare.

The COAS maintained that the seminar is premised on the need to improve the capacity of NA personnel as well as to sensitize troops on the NA Lessons Learnt Process in a bid to enhance combat readiness. He added that lessons must properly be analysed and applied in order to reduce human casualties and operational costs, stressing that the sensitization seminar will rekindle critical thinking skills amongst the commanders, particularly tactical commanders, through creativity as well as enhance their capacity to draw lessons from operational engagement and other activities in the NA.

Earlier in his welcome address, the COTI (A), represented by the Deputy Director Training and Examination Analysis, AHQ DATI, Brigadier General Olayinka Are appreciated the General Officer Commanding 8 Division and Commander Sector 2 OPFY for the reception and hospitality accorded to the AHQ team since arrival to Sokoto. The COTI (A) noted that the seminar is organised to enhance troops’ knowledge on how to extract, collect, and analyse lessons in order to avoid the mistakes of the past while enhancing favourable operational outcomes, especially in the Northwest theatre of operation.

While applauding the lofty achievements of the 8 Division, Major General Abai assured that AHQ DATI will continue to guide the responses of troops of the Division towards identifying and improving on lessons gained from operational and administrative schedules.

The COTI (A) appreciated the COAS for his guidance and for providing the resources to conduct the seminar. He, therefore, urged all participants to ensure the knowledge acquired from the seminar is well utilised to entrench a better-positioned NA.

The seminar also witnessed a presentation on the Effect of Drug and Substance Abuse on NA Operational Effectiveness by the Commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Sokoto State, Commander of Narcotics Adamu Iro. Highlights of the event were syndicate works and interactive sessions, presentation of souvenirs and group photographs.