From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has charged senior commanders of the Nigerian Army to continuously review their contingency plans to ensure the efficient management of the security environment.
Lagbaja said this has become necessary as modern warfare is no longer fought on battlefields alone. He said that the hybrid nature of conflict, information and cyber warfare, the increasing use of drones and robotics, and other state-based assets had brought a paradigm shift to the battlefield.
The COAS gave the charge at the opening of the 2024 Second Senior Command Leadership Seminar hosted by the Army Headquarters Garrison in Abuja.
Represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Major General Obinna Ajunwa, at the seminar with the theme: “Enhancing Operational Level Command and Leadership within a Joint Environment”, Lagbaja said that the seminar was designed to equip senior commanders with the requisite skills and competencies to enhance their performance in the increasingly complex security environment of contemporary command.
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While noting that the Nigerian Army is facing multiple security threats in highly complex and unpredictable geopolitical environments, the COAS said, “You must all keep abreast with these changes as we collectively focus on developing capabilities to deal with these emerging security issues in order to build a formidable future force.”
“I therefore urge you all to participate actively and make meaningful contributions as we continue to advance into the future. Senior leaders must be the catalyst of change and inculcate a sense of ‘jointness’ and synergy among all personnel and other sister services. I urge you all to strengthen our preparedness and continuously review your contingency plans to ensure efficient management of your security environment,” he said.
Earlier in his address, the Commander, AHQ Garrison, Major General Koko Isoni, noted that the security challenges bedevilling the country had made the seminar imperative to guide the commanders in discharging their responsibilities. He said the objective of the seminar was to consolidate on the successes of the first edition held earlier in the year at Headquarters 82 Division.
He said the seminar would reinforce the COAS’ command philosophy and enlighten senior commanders on the implications and responsibilities of command in a joint environment.
The AHQ commander, who is also the host of the seminar, said the choice of the theme was necessitated to enshrine tenets such as the fundamentals of leadership for senior officers, operational efficiency in a joint environment, complex decision-making, and integration of capacities.
He also said that the seminar would afford the resource persons and participants the opportunity to deliberate and come up with workable solutions to address inimical command challenges.
“I wish to use this medium to urge the participants to engage constructively during interactive sessions to harness the full benefits of the seminar. I look forward to robust discussions as training progresses, and I have no doubt that at the end of the seminar, critical issues bothering on command will be addressed.”