The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has highlighted the importance of competence, technical proficiency, and innovation among officers in critical logistics positions within the Nigerian Army. He made this statement at a seminar on the Nigerian Army Transformation and Innovation Needs Assessment, held at the Tukur Yusuf Buratai Auditorium in Lagos. The seminar aimed to assess existing logistics capabilities, identify gaps, and develop measures to enhance operational preparedness.
The seminar, themed “Logistics Needs Assessment: Developing the Competences and Capabilities of NA Logistics Staff for NA Operational Effectiveness in a Joint Environment,” was organized by the Army Headquarters Department of Army Transformation and Innovation. Lt. Gen Shaibu, represented by Major General Abdullahi Ibrahim, noted that the Nigerian Army operates in a complex security environment characterized by terrorism, insurgency, and asymmetric threats. He urged logisticians to develop professional knowledge, technical competence, and innovative mindset to anticipate operational demands.
Lt. Gen Shaibu 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 emphasized that effective logistics is essential to quality operational planning and tactical proficiency of troops. The COAS expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his strategic guidance and support to the Nigerian Army.
Major General Peter Okoye, Chief of Transformation and Innovation, welcomed participants and described the seminar as a platform for professional discourse and critical assessment of ideas to strengthen the Army's logistics capabilities. He noted that advances in technology have significantly influenced military logistics, requiring improved information flow, accurate resource planning, and efficient asset management.
Major General Jerry Bitrus Manjang, in a lecture, identified dependence on manual processes as a challenge affecting logistics operations, contributing to inadequate asset visibility and supply chain management. He advocated for greater practical application of technology in logistics training to improve performance. The seminar aimed to build competent logistics personnel and strengthen institutional capacity to meet current and future operational challenges.
The Commandant, Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management, Major General Adewale Collins Adetoba, ensured the successful conduct of the programme. Lt. Gen Shaibu commended Major General Okoye and his team for facilitating the seminar. The COAS expressed hope that the seminar would enhance the Nigerian Army's ability to meet operational challenges in a joint environment.
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. The seminar concluded with a renewed effort to build competent logistics personnel and strengthen institutional capacity.
Key points
- Lt. Gen Waidi Shaibu emphasizes the importance of competence, technical proficiency, and innovation among Nigerian Army logistics officers.
- The Nigerian Army operates in a complex security environment characterized by terrorism, insurgency, and asymmetric threats.
- The seminar aimed to build competent logistics personnel and strengthen institutional capacity to meet current and future operational challenges.
