Nigerian Army Signals Holds Annual Conference 2026

Nigerian Army Signals Holds Annual Conference 2026

The Nigerian Army Signals (NAS) has successfully conducted its Annual Conference 2026 at the Commander Corps of Signals Conference Room, Headquarters NAS, Arakan Cantonment, Lagos, from 8 – 11 February 2026. The conference brought together senior officers, directors, commanders, and key stakeholders of the Corps to deliberate on critical issues bothering on communication in operations and chart a forward-looking roadmap for enhanced operational effectiveness.

In his opening remarks, the Commander Corps of Signals (CCS), Major General Tanimu Abdullahi, stated that the presence of participants underscored a shared commitment to strengthening the effectiveness of the NAS. He expressed that the purpose of the conference was to critically and candidly review the current challenges confronting the Corps and to formulate practical, forward-looking strategies to address them, while consolidating on the solid foundations and legacies established by his predecessors.

Major General Abdullahi reiterated that the primary responsibility of the NAS is to provide reliable, secure, and responsive communication support to the Nigerian Army (NA) at all levels for operational, logistics, and administrative purposes. He emphasized that this function remains central to effective command and control, operational efficiency, and overall mission success.

The CCS noted that in executing this mandate, the Corps must remain guided by the Chief of Army Staff’s (COAS) Command Philosophy which is “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.” In alignment with this philosophy, the CCS reaffirmed his mission to “Continue the Transformation of the Nigerian Army Signals into a Highly Technical, Innovative, and Efficient Corps, Leveraging Modern Technology to Deliver Secure, Seamless, and Dependable Communication Support in Today’s Dynamic Security Environment”.

Major General Abdullahi identified the Nigerian Army School of Signals as the main effort, serving as the nucleus for capacity development, doctrinal evolution, and technological advancement. He highlighted the imperative of deliberate technical modernisation as key focus area, noting that contemporary operations demand secure, resilient, and interoperable communication systems. He disclosed that the Corps would pursue phased upgrades of communication infrastructure and institutionalise effective equipment life cycle management to ensure reliability, security, and sustained operational readiness.

The CCS further emphasised the importance of human capacity development, stating that technology is only as effective as the personnel who operate it. He stressed that continuous training, structured professional development, and relevant technical certifications across all cadres would remain priorities to ensure competence and adaptability in an evolving operational space.

The Chairman also underscored the need to expand beyond conventional communication support to embrace network centric operations, cybersecurity, and information assurance. He disclosed plans to progressively adopt digital transformation of internal processes to enhance efficiency, maintenance management, and informed command decision-making, while strengthening cybersecurity capabilities to safeguard the Army’s command and control architecture, leadership and welfare.

The CCS stressed that repositioning the Corps requires strong leadership anchored on professionalism, innovation, and accountability. He encouraged technical competence, strict maintenance discipline, and performance measurement as drivers of sustained effectiveness. He also directed commanders to prioritise the welfare and development of their subordinates in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s “Soldiers First Concept” to boost morale and administrative efficiency. He expressed profound appreciation to the COAS, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu (Nigerian Army Medal) for his unwavering support, strategic direction, and resource provision, which he described as instrumental to the transformation and operational effectiveness of the Corps.

As the conference drew to a close, Major General Abdullahi commended participants for their active engagement, candid contributions, and professional inputs, noting that the deliberations had demonstrated unity of purpose and shared responsibility in advancing the Corps’ effectiveness. He therefore charged commanders to take ownership of the resolutions reached and ensure diligent implementation within their respective formations and units. He concluded by reaffirming confidence that the synergy, professionalism, and shared vision demonstrated during the conference would further reposition the NAS to effectively support the NA across all operational theatres, now and in the future.