The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has pledged his support to vigorously promote equipment maintenance to enhance operational readiness in the Nigerian Army (NA). The COAS stated this today Thursday 25 July 2024, at the Army Headquarters conference room during a paper presentation, titled “Equipment Maintenance and Operational Readiness: Strategic Options for the Nigerian Army by the year 2035”, presented by Nigerian Army participants of National Defence College (NDC) Course 32.

The COAS, while commending the participants for a well-researched paper, opined that the NA has a lot to gain when the research findings are implemented. Gen Lagbaja disclosed that the NA will adopt some of the recommendations in the maintenance of its vehicles in the various theaters of operations for effective operational performance.

He averred that as technologies continue to advance, the NA will continue to adopt and integrate evolving innovations in order to maintain a competitive edge and standardized operations in the theatres of operations.

Earlier, the Commandant National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olotu Olumuyiwa, expressed his gratitude to the COAS for his tremendous support to the College and availing himself to listen to the paper presentation by Colonel Eromosele Lawani, one of the participants.

He asserted that the topic of the paper seeks to enhance equipment viability in the NA, which he noted is an essential requirement for attainment of NA mandate in protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity, strategic infrastructure, people and core interests, adding that the NA needs to constantly build requisite capacity to maintain equipment, as well as leverage key local and foreign stakeholders to ensure a high rate of operational readiness.

The event was climaxed with the presentation of a hard copy of the research paper to the COAS by Course 32 President Colonel Saidu Tafida.

ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Major General
Director Army Public Relations
25 July 2024