- As He Declares Training Conference open in Minna
From John Adams, Minna
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Lagbaja has said that the only antidote to winning the war against armed Bandits, insurgents and other criminal elements operating across the country is constant training by officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The Chief of Army Staff said the Nigerian Army is currently involved in plethora of activities spanning a wide range of Military operations from conventional military engagement which according to him includes counter Insurgency/terrorism and anti Banditry operations.
He said the Army therefore required to train, plan and execute these operations in line with it’s extant doctrine 22 which codified as proactive responsive doctrine.
Lt. General Lagbaja was speaking on Tuesday when he declared open, this year’s Army Doctrine and Training Conference at the TRADOC headquarters in Minna the Niger state capital.
The Chief of Army Staff who was represented by the Chief of training Army headquarters, Major General Sani G. Mohammed pointed out that the conference which was designed to enhance the application of the Nigerian Army Doctrine 22 as an enabler for the conduct of effective training and operations as well as to begin the training activities for the year is desirable.
He maintained that the theme of this year’s conference “enhancing operational effectiveness in a joint environment through tailor-made training” is quite apt “as it is anchored on my philosophy to transform the Nigerian Army into a well trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment”.
He therefore urged the participants of the conference to ensure effective appreciation of the Nigerian Army Doctrine and participate actively “because it is designed to enhance our approaches towards training and operational engagements”, adding that the knowledge and professional competence gained from the conference would no doubt shape the training policy implementation for this year’s training activities.
Earlier the Commandant Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Major General Kelvin O. Aligbe, said the annual doctrinal ritual sets the tone for training activities in all Nigerian Army training schools and centres by drawing inspiration from the extant Nigerian Army’s Proactive Responsive Doctrine to guide our training on how we should fight.
He pointed out that the theme of this Year’s Conference, “Enhancing Operational Effectiveness in a Joint Environment through Tailor-Made Training” was carefully selected with emphasis on jointness in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy which is, “to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment”.
According to him”This Conference therefore, in part, fulfils the training agenda that other pillars of the COAS Command Philosophy are anchored.
He maintained the need therefore for tailor-made approach to training is to develop capacity to respond to the multi-faceted and sometimes mutating security challenges the Nigerian Army is tasked to mitigate.
According to the TRADOC Commander, “it had become clear in the increasingly complex modern operational environment, that the Army must work with other services, government security agencies as well as non-governmental stakeholders to secure the Country for prosperity to thrive.
“At the national level the Nigerian Army would be operating largely as part of a joint task force while retaining the readiness to do same under a multinational force within a regional or global arrangement”.
The first step therefore towards achieving the desired effectiveness within a joint or multinational environment is to have well trained and mission capable troops, and this responsibility, he said falls squarely on our training schools and centres (the commandants/DTOS) based on current doctrine.