The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, on Friday charged soldiers graduating from Exercise RESTORE HOPE X to uphold discipline and operational excellence as they take up posts in the Nigerian Army’s newly created divisions, formations and units.
Shaibu spoke at the graduation ceremony for the Advanced Infantry Training Programme, held at the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATC) in Kachia. He described the exercise as the flagship of the Army’s post-basic infantry training framework, built to sharpen combat proficiency and prepare soldiers for the demands of modern military operations.
The Army chief said the graduation falls at a pivotal moment in the service’s ongoing transformation, noting that the Nigerian Army is in the middle of one of the most extensive force-expansion drives in its history.
He said the restructuring approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has led to the creation of additional divisions, formations and units aimed at improving the Army’s disposition and response to Nigeria’s evolving security threats. Many of Friday’s graduates, he added, will form the core of these new units and are expected to carry their training directly into operations.
Shaibu called on the graduates to justify the investment made in their training through sound judgment, professionalism and commitment to their missions. He urged them to stay physically fit and mentally sharp, adapt to emerging threats, embrace innovation, and maintain strict adherence to the rule of law, human rights protections and the rules of engagement throughout their careers.
He also thanked President Tinubu for what he called sustained support for the Army’s operational, training and administrative needs, saying the president’s backing has been central to the service’s expansion and modernisation. Continued investment in realistic, mission-focused training, he said, remains key to building a force capable of decisive results across all theatres of operation.
Earlier, the Chief of Training (Army), Major General Valentine Okoro, welcomed attendees and described RESTORE HOPE X as a cornerstone of the Army’s training system, one that has consistently turned out combat-ready soldiers who have gone on to distinguish themselves in various theatres.
He said the programme exposed trainees to realistic operational scenarios including tactical operations, marksmanship, field craft, combat endurance, leadership development and counter-insurgency work while building their confidence, decision-making and battlefield competence.
Okoro added that the exercise has also strengthened the Army’s institutional training capacity by standardising post-basic infantry instruction and refining teaching methods across its training establishments.
