The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has challenged senior commanders to ensure preparedness of troops and continuously review contingency plans for efficient management of security environment.

Lagbaja gave the charge at the opening of the Second Senior Command Leadership Seminar 2024, hosted by the Army Headquarters Garrison, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The seminar has the theme: “Enhancing Operational Level Command and Leadership within a Joint Environment”.

Lagbaja, who was represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Maj.-Gen. Obinna Ajunwa, said that modern warfare was no longer fought on battlefields alone.

He said that the hybrid nature of conflict information and cyber warfare, increasing use of drones and robotics and other state-based assets, had brought a paradigm shift to the battlefield.

“Therefore, you must all keep abreast with these changes as we collectively focus on developing capabilities to deal with these emerging security issues in order to build a formidable future force.

“I, therefore, urge you all to participate actively and make meaningful contributions as we continue to advance into the future.

“Senior leaders must be the catalyst of change and inculcate a sense of ‘jointness’ and synergy among all personnel and other sister services.

“I urge you all to strengthen our preparedness and continuously review your contingency plans to ensure efficient management of your security environment,’’ he said.

The COAS said the seminar was designed to equip senior commanders with requisite skills and competence to enhance their performance in the increasingly complex security environment of contemporary command.

“The Nigerian army is facing multiple security threats in highly complex and unpredictable geopolitical environments,” he said.

Earlier, the Commander, AHQ Garrison, Maj.-Gen. Koko Isoni, said the contemporary security challenges had made the seminar imperative to guide in the discharge of their responsibilities as senior commanders.

Isoni said that the objective of the seminar was to consolidate on the successes of the first edition held earlier in the year at 82 Division Headquarters

According to him, this will reinforce the primacy of the COAS command philosophy in command direction, as well as enlighten senior commanders on the implications and responsibilities of command in a joint environment.

He said the choice of the theme was necessitated to enshrine tenets such as fundamentals of leadership for senior officers, operational efficiency in a joint environment, complex decision making and integration of capacities.

Isoni said that the seminar was expected to afford the resource persons and participaants the opportunity to deliberate and come up with workable solutions with a view to addressing inimical command challenges.

“I wish to use this medium to urge the participants to engage them constructively during interactive sessions in order to harness the full benefits of the seminar.

“I look forward to robust discussions as training progresses and I have no doubt that at the end of the seminar, critical issues bothering on command will be addressed,’’ he said. (NAN)