The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged soldiers graduating from the Advanced Infantry Training Programme, Exercise RESTORE HOPE X, to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and operational excellence as they prepare to serve in the Nigerian Army’s newly established divisions, formations and units.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony held on Friday at the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATC), Kachia, Kaduna State, the Army Chief described the programme as the flagship of the Nigerian Army’s post-basic infantry training framework, designed to sharpen combat skills, strengthen the warrior ethos and prepare soldiers for the complex demands of modern military operations.
Shaibu said the graduation coincides with a critical phase in the Nigerian Army’s transformation, as the Service undertakes one of the most significant force expansion and capability enhancement initiatives in its history.
According to him, following the approval of President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the restructuring of the Nigerian Army, additional divisions, formations and units have been established to improve force deployment and enhance operational responsiveness to the country’s evolving security challenges.
He noted that many of the graduating soldiers would form the nucleus of the newly created formations and urged them to translate the knowledge and skills acquired during training into operational effectiveness.
The COAS called on the graduands to justify the investment in their training by demonstrating professionalism, sound judgment and unwavering commitment to mission accomplishment. He also urged them to remain physically fit, mentally alert and technologically proficient while adapting to emerging threats and embracing innovation.
Shaibu further reminded the soldiers to uphold discipline, respect the rule of law, protect human rights and strictly adhere to the rules of engagement in the discharge of their duties.
The Army Chief expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his continued support to the Nigerian Army’s operational, training and administrative needs, describing the President’s strategic guidance and sustained investment as critical to the Service’s ongoing transformation and force expansion.
He stressed that continuous investment in realistic, mission-oriented training remains essential to building a highly skilled and combat-ready force capable of achieving decisive success across all theatres of operation.
Earlier, the Chief of Training (Army), Major General Valentine Okoro, described Exercise RESTORE HOPE X as a vital component of the Nigerian Army’s training architecture, noting that it has consistently produced highly motivated and combat-ready soldiers who have distinguished themselves in various operational theatres.
Okoro said the exercise exposed participants to realistic battlefield scenarios, tactical operations, marksmanship, field craft, combat endurance, leadership development and counter-insurgency operations, significantly improving their confidence, decision-making ability and battlefield competence.
He added that the programme has also strengthened the Army’s institutional capacity by standardising post-basic infantry training, refining instructional methods and promoting continuous improvement across its training establishments.
