COAS BOOSTS TROOPS’ WELFARE, OPERATIONAL READINESS WITH NEW FACILITIES AT DAMATURU MILITARY CANTONMENT

COAS BOOSTS TROOPS’ WELFARE, OPERATIONAL READINESS WITH NEW FACILITIES AT DAMATURU MILITARY CANTONMENT

The Nigerian Army has continued to strengthen its commitment to personnel welfare and operational effectiveness with the commissioning of new administrative offices and residential accommodation at 233 Tank Battalion, Damaturu Military Cantonment, Yobe State, on 29 October 2026. The projects reflect the commitment of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu NAM, to improving the working and living conditions of personnel in line with the Nigerian Army’s Soldier First Culture Concept.

Represented at the ceremony, the Commander, Headquarters Sector 2, Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Brigadier General Edet Effiong, the COAS stated that personnel welfare remained a critical pillar of operational readiness. He noted that functional administrative facilities and decent accommodation would enhance troop morale, improve administrative efficiency and enable personnel to focus more effectively on their assigned responsibilities.

Lieutenant General Shaibu described the facilities as a practical investment in the welfare of soldiers and their families, as well as the operational capacity of the battalion. He urged the benefiting personnel to maintain the facilities and ensure that the improved working and living conditions translated into greater professionalism, discipline and commitment to ongoing military operations.

The COAS also expressed appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his continued support to the Nigerian Army’s efforts to improve personnel welfare and develop combat-ready forces. He commended the supervising departments, contractors and other stakeholders whose contributions ensured the successful completion of the projects.

Earlier, the Commanding Officer, 233 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Umaru Undie, expressed appreciation to the COAS for the intervention, describing it as a significant boost to personnel morale and the battalion’s operational effectiveness. He observed that decent accommodation and an improved working environment were essential to sustaining a motivated, disciplined and combat-ready force. He assured that the facilities would be properly maintained to support the welfare of personnel and the effective discharge of the battalion’s responsibilities.

The commissioning underscores the Nigerian Army’s continued efforts to strengthen its operational formations through improved infrastructure, enhanced personnel welfare and more conducive working and living conditions. These initiatives reinforce the Soldier First Culture concept while supporting the Army’s broader commitment to professional service, operational effectiveness and national security.

The ceremony was attended by the Senior Special Assistant to the Yobe State Government, Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam (rtd), Commander 27 Task Force Brigade, Brigadier General Muktar Mukhtar, senior military officers, personnel and other invited guests.