Yahaya advocates uncompromising recruitment, training reforms to strengthen Army effectiveness
By: Zagazola Makama
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya (rtd), has called for a rigorous and uncompromising approach to recruitment, training, and continuous performance evaluation of personnel to enhance the professionalism and effectiveness of the Nigerian Army.
Yahaya made this call during his lecture at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2025 held at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, on Saturday.
He emphasized that courage, vigilance, and high standards must remain integral throughout the military career of all personnel, starting from entry-level assessments to mid-career evaluations.
“Recruitment and selection into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and Depot Nigerian Army must be thorough and uncompromising. There is no room for weakness or mediocrity. We must be courageous and firm in weeding out bad eggs at every stage,” Yahaya said.
He stressed that modern-day threats required a dynamic training approach, tailored not only to address contemporary security challenges but also to anticipate future operational complexities.
Yahaya called for the review of current training curricula across all levels of military education and stressed the inclusion of strategic themes such as counter-terrorism, asymmetric warfare, emotional intelligence, military psychology, and social media awareness.
“Effective training is key to imprinting the soldier-first concept in the minds of both instructors and students. Our training must reflect modern threats not just conventional warfare but terrorism, insurgency, ideological extremism, and emerging cyber threats,” he said.
He noted that manuals, simulations, and hands-on training must be intensified and aligned with real-time battlefield dynamics, adding that military schools and institutions should undergo updates to meet 21st-century challenges.
Yahaya recommended enhanced collaboration with advanced military institutions, particularly those in the United States, United Kingdom, and Pakistan, to fast-track knowledge exchange and technical competence.
“We must scale up our engagements with allied nations on training programs. Our non-commissioned officers should have wider access to Junior Command, Regimentation, and Train-the-Trainer courses abroad to meet international standards,” he said.
He added that such partnerships would bolster the capacity of small units and frontline commanders essential in countering insurgent threats and operating in decentralized warfighting environments like the North East and Lake Chad region.
Yahaya also underscored the need to empower senior non-commissioned officers (SNCOs) with the leadership and tactical skills necessary to manage operations at the small-unit level.
“Contemporary security threats are no longer dealt with by massed formations alone. The Army must build a force capable of executing small-unit warfighting with speed, precision, and initiative, using a decentralized command structure under the principle of mission command,” Yahaya said.
He noted that improving the capacity of SNCOs would also help address the gap in commissioned officer availability in remote theatres of operation, especially in conflict zones like the North East and North West.
Yahaya concluded by reaffirming that all reforms must revolve around the welfare, professionalism, and combat effectiveness of the soldier, describing them as the “engine room” of the Army’s operational success.
“The future of our Army depends on the soldier how well we train, equip, and support him. Let us define our vision clearly and pursue it with consistency and discipline,” he said.
The lecture was part of a series of professional engagements during NADCEL 2025, marking 162 years of the Nigerian Army’s existence.
