From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, yesterday, commissioned the newly constructed Nigerian Army Operations Centre in Abuja.
The centre located at the Army Headquarters complex is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which enables it to serve the three fold functions of a Command Centre, a situation room and an operations briefing facility.
It affords the army headquarters to enhance its reach and the ability to quickly intervene, direct and influence ongoing operations and from the centre, the army headquarters would have a common operational picture with commanders in the field.
In his address at the commissioning, the Chief of operations, Major General Akinjobi, said the operations centre, which is the brainchild of Buratai, and consolidated upon by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya,
in line with his vision of “A Professional Nigerian Army Ready to Accomplish Assigned Missions Within a Joint Environment in Defence of Nigeria.
Akinjobi, said the centre was established to have an appropriate facility that could provide the army headquarters with real time situational awareness on all operational activities across operational theatres where troops are deployed.
While noting that Nigerian Army soldiers were engaged in various internal security operations across the country, the COP said the centre needed to have greater situational awareness, so as to better influence them.
He said: “The centre is, therefore, one of the numerous legacy and enduring projects initiated by His Excellency, Lieutenant General T.Y. Buratai all across the Nigerian Army.
“On assumption of the office, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, aptly prioritised the completion of the project.
“This was in realisation of the growing importance of technology to military operations and the need to adequately leverage the same to improve the operational picture of army headquarters vis a vis ongoing operations. In this stead, further improvements were made to the facilities being installed and the main hall was appropriately remodelled for optimal display, interactions and utilisation.
“The centre has state-of-the-art facilities that enable it to serve the three fold functions of a command centre, a situation room and an operations briefing facility.
“It affords the army headquarters the enhanced reach and the ability to quickly intervene, direct and influence ongoing operations. From the centre, the army headquarters would have a common operational picture with commanders in the field.
More importantly, the facility is scalable and can, therefore, accommodate further add-ons as the Nigerian Army continues to embrace the technologies of the times with a view to better performing her constitutional roles, in line with the COAS’ vision of “A Professional Nigerian Army Ready to Accomplish Assigned Missions Within a Joint Environment in Defence of Nigeria.”
In this light, live feeds from drones and other information technology equipment can be viewed from the centre. Equally, the facility has the capability to interface with related assets of the other services for optimal joint operations.
“Furthermore, the Nigerian Army Operations Centre is equipped with adequately resourced work stations for dedicated desk officers for all current and future operations.
“These desk officers would be expected to string together occurrences in each Theatre, in order to develop an overarching picture of the generalised operating environment for needed army headquarters’ directives.
In addition, the centre has the needed support offices, including one for the Chief of Army Staff, in the event of emergencies requiring his prolonged stay at the operations centre.
The centre is, thus, well suited to ensure that army headquarters has close to the same operational picture as the formations with a view to providing greater guidance for the army’s operational activities. It is, therefore, gratifying to state that the facility being commissioned today prepares the Nigerian Army for the future.”
Commissioning the Centre, Buratai, who is also the Nigerian ambassador to Benin Republic, said the operation centre would go a long way to boost army operations and improve the operational standards of troops.