The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged soldiers graduating from Exercise RESTORE HOPE X to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and operational excellence as they prepare for deployment to the Nigerian Army’s newly established divisions, formations and units.
Shaibu gave the charge on Friday during the graduation ceremony of the Advanced Infantry Training Programme, codenamed Exercise RESTORE HOPE X, at the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kachia, Kaduna State.
The Army Chief described the exercise as the flagship of the Nigerian Army’s post-basic infantry training programme, designed to enhance combat proficiency, strengthen the warrior ethos and prepare personnel for the evolving demands of modern military operations.
He disclosed that the graduation comes at a critical stage in the ongoing transformation of the Nigerian Army following the Federal Government’s approval for the restructuring and expansion of the service.
According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of additional divisions, formations and units to improve the Army’s operational capability and responsiveness to Nigeria’s changing security challenges.
Shaibu said many of the graduating soldiers would form the nucleus of the newly created formations and were expected to translate their training into operational success.
“Many of you will constitute the nucleus of these new formations and are expected to translate your training into operational effectiveness,” he said.
The COAS urged the graduates to justify the investment made in their training by demonstrating professionalism, sound judgment and unwavering commitment to duty.
He also charged them to remain physically fit, mentally alert and technologically proficient while adapting to emerging security threats.
“Remain physically fit, mentally agile and technologically proficient. Continually adapt to emerging threats, embrace innovation and uphold the highest standards of discipline, respect for the rule of law, protection of human rights and strict compliance with the rules of engagement throughout your careers,” Shaibu said.
The Army Chief expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his continued support to the Nigerian Army’s operational, training and administrative requirements, describing the President’s investment and strategic guidance as key to the ongoing transformation and force expansion of the service.
He stressed that sustained investment in realistic, mission-oriented training remained essential to building a highly skilled fighting force capable of achieving decisive operational 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 had consistently produced combat-ready soldiers who had distinguished themselves in various operational theatres.
Okoro said the training exposed participants to realistic operational 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 exercise had also strengthened the Army’s institutional capacity by standardising post-basic infantry training, refining instructional methods and promoting continuous improvement across its training establishments.
