COAS TASKS ARMY LOGISTICIANS ON COMPETENCE, INNOVATION FOR OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

COAS TASKS ARMY LOGISTICIANS ON COMPETENCE, INNOVATION FOR OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu NAM, has underscored the importance of competence, technical proficiency and innovation among officers occupying critical logistics positions within the Nigerian Army (NA).

The COAS stated this on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, at the Tukur Yusuf Buratai Auditorium, at the Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management Ojo Campus in Lagos, during a seminar on the Nigerian Army Transformation and Innovation Needs Assessment.

The seminar, which was themed “Logistics Needs Assessment: Developing the Competences and Capabilities of NA Logistics Staff for NA Operational Effectiveness in a Joint Environment,” was organised by the Army Headquarters Department of Army Transformation and Innovation to assess existing logistics capabilities, identify critical gaps and develop practical measures to enhance operational preparedness.

Represented by the Corps Commander Ordnance, Major General Abdullahi Ibrahim, the COAS noted that the NA operates in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous security environment characterised by terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other asymmetric threats. He therefore urged Army logisticians to develop the professional knowledge, technical competence and innovative mindset required to anticipate operational demands and deliver the right resources to the right place at the right time.

Lieutenant General Shaibu further tasked logisticians to deepen their understanding of existing deficiencies and develop realistic options for strengthening personnel, systems and capabilities required to support current and future operations. He stressed that effective logistics remains essential to quality operational planning and the tactical proficiency of troops.

The COAS expressed appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his strategic guidance and continued support to the Nigerian Army. He also commended the Chief of Transformation and Innovation (Army), Major General Peter Okoye, and his team for facilitating the seminar, as well as the Commandant, Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management, Major General Adewale Collins Adetoba, for ensuring the successful conduct of the programme.

Earlier, the Chief of Transformation and Innovation (Army), Major General Peter Okoye, welcomed participants and described the seminar as an important platform for professional discourse and critical assessment of ideas aimed at strengthening the Army’s logistics capabilities. He observed that advances in technology have significantly influenced military logistics, requiring improved information flow, accurate resource planning, timely maintenance, efficient asset management and greater visibility of logistics resources.

Delivering a lecture titled “Capacity Building for NA Logistics Officers in a Joint Environment: A Training Needs Analysis,” Major General Jerry Bitrus Manjang identified dependence on manual processes as one of the challenges affecting logistics operations. He noted that this challenges contribute to inadequate asset visibility and supply chain management. He advocated for greater practical application especially in the use of technology in the field and incorporate same in logistics training to further improve performance in the field.

In his closing remarks, Major General Okoye reaffirmed the centrality of logistics to operational success, stressing the need to strengthen systems, personnel and capabilities in line with evolving warfare demands. He noted that renewed efforts to build competent logistics personnel and strengthen institutional capacity would enhance the NA’s ability to meet current and future operational challenges in a joint environment.