Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on Saturday charged Nigerian Army commanders at all levels to always place the welfare of their subordinates and the success of assigned missions above personal gain.
Speaking while delivering his opening remarks at the 2025 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) Lecture held at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, General Oluyede said the core of the Army’s evolving transformation strategy was built around soldier-centric leadership, which emphasizes selfless command, responsive administration, and operational effectiveness.
The lecture, themed “The Soldier First Concept and the Future of the Nigerian Army: Shaping a New Culture for Army Transformation” was delivered by former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya (rtd).
Oluyede said that “the renewed drive towards this concept has influenced our policies in some key areas. This is seen in our conscious promotion of the leadership style where commanders prioritise the needs of their subordinates and their mission above personal gain.”
The COAS added that such leadership would inspire confidence among troops, foster loyalty, and boost morale, especially in theatres of operation where soldiers face extreme risks and hardship.
He also announced new measures aimed at institutionalising the “Soldier First” concept across the Nigerian Army. These include enhanced training programmes, better accommodation and healthcare for soldiers and their families, and merit-based promotion and reward systems.
He said commanders must demonstrate servant-leadership by being accessible, empathetic, and mission-driven in all their engagements with troops.
Oluyede further directed the Army Headquarters Department of Training to ensure that all military institutions update their curricula in line with current and emerging operational realities, and to work more closely with tri-service training schools.
“We must take deliberate steps to ensure that soldiers have the right leadership, the right tools, and the right motivation to carry out their duties effectively,” he said.
The COAS reaffirmed that under his command, the Nigerian Army would remain committed to reforms that strengthen professionalism, uphold discipline, and reinforce the value of selfless service.
Expatiating on his lecture, General Yahaya called on the Federal Government to take urgent and deliberate steps to address critical gaps in accommodation and welfare provision for Nigerian Army personnel, especially rank-and-file soldiers.
Strongly emphasizing the centrality of soldiers’ well-being in achieving operational effectiveness and national security goals, the former COAS describing the current state of accommodation for soldiers as “grossly inadequate and unacceptable,” warning that the continued neglect of troop welfare could erode morale, discipline, and combat readiness.
“Perhaps the greatest healthcare challenge facing the Nigerian Army today is the lack of decent accommodation for its personnel, particularly the soldiers. Many are forced to live in makeshift settlements, share rooms with multiple families, or seek refuge in insecure civilian environments,” Yahaya lamented.
He attributed the worsening situation to the Nigerian Army’s expansion in response to rising security threats across the country, which was not matched by a proportional increase in infrastructure, particularly housing.
“Over the last decade, with the spread of insurgency, terrorism, and violent crimes nationwide, we’ve had to massively increase our troop strength. Unfortunately, real estate capacity did not grow accordingly. The result is congestion, hardship, and a welfare crisis within the barracks,” he said.
Yahaya cited instances from his own career where senior commanders were forced to share accommodation and where soldiers’ families lived in substandard conditions, even in operational zones.
“We cannot expect soldiers to give their best in combat when they go home to squalor and uncertainty. A soldier’s morale starts with the roof over his head,” he added.
Beyond accommodation, Yahaya also raised concern about the quality of education accessible to soldiers’ children and the availability of medical care for troops and their families.
He praised ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Army to establish and expand welfare schools but noted that many soldiers were still compelled to enroll their children in private schools at great personal cost.
“When soldiers spend their meagre salaries to give their children basic education, it dampens morale and undermines the very essence of military service. Government must do more to invest in educational infrastructure within our formations,” he said.
On Medicare, he acknowledged the significant improvements recorded over the past decade but recommended the establishment of dedicated rehabilitation centers to support wounded and traumatized soldiers, as well as the lifting of embargoes on the procurement of essential medical equipment and tools.
Yahaya stressed that welfare must be seen as a continuous, system-wide responsibility not a one-time intervention. He advocated for economic empowerment of non-commissioned officers through technology training in cyber-security, GPS operations, field communication systems, and basic IT skills.
He also urged the Nigerian Army leadership to establish clear frameworks to check unethical officer-soldier relationships, which he said were undermining trust, discipline, and esprit de corps within units.
“Welfare is not just about feeding or pay it’s about dignity, fairness, and institutional justice. Soldiers must see leadership as firm, fair, and humane. Promotions must be earned and not politicized,” he advised.
Reiterating the importance of leadership, Yahaya called for structured mentorship programs to build a new generation of professional, confident, and resilient soldiers. He said incentives and motivation schemes must be institutionalized, and soldiers rewarded for loyalty, gallantry, and service excellence.
“No military can be stronger than the morale of its soldiers. Welfare must be constant, comprehensive, and uncompromising if we are to sustain the gains of recent years and confront future threats effectively,” he concluded.
The event was attended by three former Chiefs of Army Staff – Lieutenant Generals Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), Tukur Buratai (rtd), and Faruk Yahaya (rtd) whom General Oluyede described as pillars of institutional legacy and leadership.
Written with reports from Zagazola Makama
