As a classic series, Sokoto hosted the 2nd Commanders Workshop for operational and tactical level commanders in September; the second Capacity Building Conversation for Regimental Sergeants Majors (RSMs), in November and culminated in the week-long Annual Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Conference of the senior officers of the Nigerian Army , in December.

Declaring open the second workshop, a follow-up to the first, held at Division 2, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Oyo State, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya reiterated that staff training and retraining are very important to success, as doing so would help equip officers with global best practices.

The theme of the workshop, “Equipment Sustainability and Operational Efficiency: The Role of Tactical and Operational Level Commanders in the Nigerian Army, as well as Sister Services through Inter-Agency Cooperation,” was a routine aimed at building the capabilities of commanders and subordinates. commanders to enable them to operate more effectively and efficiently.

At the 2022 2nd Regimental Sergeants Major (RSM) convention, held at Lt Gen Tukur Buratai Auditorium, Ginginya Barracks Sokoto, the Army Chief of Staff said the training convention is strategic for Army operations as well as to improve discipline in the Nigerian Army.

He noted that “building the capacity of RSMs is crucial to the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army, considering the important roles they play as custodians of discipline and regulation.

“We held the first convention in Lagos and it was shocking therefore the need to endorse this biannual convention again in Sokoto, with the theme, ‘Capacity Building for Regimental Sergeants Major in the Nigerian Army for Enhanced Regimentation’, is appropriate and timely. At that moment, the Army is counteracting terrorism and the insurgency.”

At the opening ceremony of the 2022 Army Chiefs of Staff Annual Conference held at the International Conference Center, Kasarawa, Sokoto State, President Muhammadu Buhari urged the military to remain apolitical saying their duty is to uphold the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

Buhari, who said his administration will provide equipment and support for the Nigerian Army to fulfill its constitutional duties to uphold the country’s territorial integrity, stressed that the military must attack terrorists and secessionists until they are conquered.

The president who said that the theme of this year’s conference, “Building a Professional Nigerian Army for the Security Environment of the 21st Century”, timely implored the participants to analyze and review the lessons learned at the conference.

The highlight of the opening ceremony was the presentation of the Nigerian Army Recognition Award to six eminent Nigerians. The award recipients are Abdulsamad Isyaka Rabiu, Aliko Dangote, Dr. Jim Ovia, Lt. Gen. Tony Elumelu Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd) and Col. Hameed Ali (rtd).

According to Lt. Gen. Yahaya, the annual COAS conference “offers an avenue to reassess the Nigerian Army’s administrative affairs, comprehensively assess and review the ongoing operational engagements of the Nigerian Army in all theaters of operations across all six geopolitical zones. within the year.

“This provides the Nigerian Army with deep insight to make far-reaching decisions that will be results-oriented to achieve its stated goal of addressing the multifaceted security challenges in the country. The conference also created an opportunity for COAS to have face-to-face interaction with all commanding general officers, field commanders, and other senior officers to provide possible guidance on how to improve NA activities and operations.

“In addition, the conference reviews decisions made at the Army Chief of Staff’s third-quarter conference, while a number of upsetting reports and other updates on various NA activities were presented and deliberated.”

The opening ceremony featured a lecture entitled “Proliferation of Regional/State Security Teams in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects” by former Chief of the Defense Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd).

Various other activities carried out during the conference include the launching of various civil-military relations projects of the Nigerian Army in various communities in Sokoto State.

Inaugurated projects include a state-of-the-art 86-room, two-story building command guest house and COAS guest house in Sokoto, a mosque at the Kasarawa International Conference Center and the renovated Mallam Sa’idu Nizzaniya Primary School, Sifawa, the COAS alma mater at Bodinga LGA.

Other Nigerian Army intervention projects include the rehabilitated children’s ward at Goronyo and Tangaza local government general hospitals, construction of drainage systems in Sifawa, distribution of educational materials to primary and secondary schools in the government area Bodinga local and medical outreach for Sifawa and Emir Yahaya residents in Bodinga and Sokoto South local government areas, respectively.

The Nigerian Journalists Union (NUJ), Sokoto State Council, hailed the pragmatic and exemplary leadership of the Army Chief of Staff for ensuring professionalism in the Nigerian Army and nation-building.

A statement by the state NUJ president, Dalhatu Abdullahi Safiyal-Magori, praised the efforts of Lt. Gen. Yahaya for the successful holding of the 2022 COAS Annual Conference and various community development protections inaugurated across Sokoto state.

Safiyal-Magori noted that “the conference will surely build on the sustained vigor for the transformation of the Nigerian Army as it was designed to gain new ideas and offer solutions to improve Army activities.

“The civil-military projects implemented by the Nigerian Army scattered across the state and launched during the COAS Annual Conference have also attested to the facts.”

Safiyal-Magori further praised the national president of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), Ms. Salamatu Yahaya, who also inaugurated a solar power well, a water head tank donated by NAOWA and rehabilitated the Vesico Virginal Fistula center, VVF, in Sokoto. Express.

The center, located in the Maryam Abacha Hospital for Women and Children, underwent a structural facelift, equipped with office furniture, empowerment training tools and medical equipment.

The efforts, according to Ms. Yahaya, were part of NAOWA’s vision to support the underprivileged, empower women and improve the standard of living of citizens.

The association also donated food, detergent and other items to the victims of VFV and praised the hospital management for their efforts in treatment and other livelihoods for the victims of VFV.

The national president also delivered medical equipment, medicines and consumables to Sokoto Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, donated sewing and knitting machines, bicycles and food to Sokoto orphanages.