The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor has commended the Chief of Army Staff on the novel idea in creating the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, which is a reservoir of competent and dedicated senior officers as well as civilian experts to address Nigerian army's peculiar challenges, which is not only a step in the right direction but indeed, a welcome development.
"On the whole, I expect the Centre to have impetus to the system through innovative ideas to problem solving approach of the Nigerian army, in particular, and the armed Forces of Nigeria in general", he noted.
General Irabor gave the commendation today, 26 January, 2023 when at the commissioning of the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Giri Abuja which was created to serve as a research establishment for the army and the formulation and development of policy frameworks.
He fervently believe that the Nigerian Army heritage and future centre as intended, will add value to the Nigerian Army activities in terms of preserving military history and drawing lessons for ongoing and future operations through critical analysis.
"It is pertinent for me to mention the central role research plays in providing constructive solutions to myriad of problems fitting the and forces of Nigeria. The dynamics of the operating environment of the armed forces of Nigeria, the man that we extreme the lenses of our engagement in various thematic areas.
"It is my hope that this Centre will provide a veritable opportunity for serving as well as retired officers to contribute to the Nigerian Army's future development and modernization agenda through focused research. I am pleased to know that the Centre has a directorate dedicated to improving jointness and operational as well as other activities with sister services", he said.
The Defence Chief also specifically and particularly commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Faruk Yahaya for providing the needed leadership to accomplish the admirable successes of the Nigerian army across the various theatres of operations.
He urged senior officers who have been deployed to the Centre or who will be working there not to occupy space but have goals to accomplish. "Set the goal for greater excellence for the Nigerian army in particular and the armed forces in general, and I wish you the very best".
The CDS appreciated the efforts and contributions of the officers and men of the Nigerian army towards the Defence of territorial integrity in conjunction with sister services and other security agencies.
He assured Nigerian Army the Defence headquarters unwavering support and needed strategic guidance to foster a professional armed forces capable of effectively addressing the nation's security and Defence challenges.
In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Faruk Yahaya said in a bid to have highly skilled, competent and senior, experienced army officers and other requisite competencies to address Nigerian Army specific thematic challenges, to be achieve through protective research, analysis, studies and suggestive of noble solutions to take Nigerian Army more effective, resilient and adaptive force, he approved the establishment of Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre.
"This is for develop plans for the retrenchment an preservation of Nigerian Army heritage. Provide strategic imput for future plans and continuous modernization of Nigerian Army as well as act as loyal opposition to the Nigerian army by constantly calling out inconsistency and flaws within the system.
"It is my firm belief that accurate future casting based on sound analysis and research would facilitate the implacement of frameworks that will ensure the deployment of adaptable Resilient and effective forces to confront and defeat current and emergence threat, thus ensuring already Force for all contingencies and emergencies, he added.
Lt Gen Yahaya stressed that the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre will also work to maintain noble solution to tactical operational, training administrative and logistics challenges of the Nigerian Army. The COAS that Nigerian army Heritage and Future Centre will be that catalyst for the Nigerian Army. The NA Heritage and Future centre will be a factory of ideas leading Nigerian Army to the future.
He added that the Nigerian army has undergone s significant transformation since the advent of democracy. Initially the major drive of the transformation was to intent professionalism and Regimentation in personnel towards achieving operational successes as well as improving the image of the Nigerian Army.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chief of Policy and Plan (Army), Major General AB Omozoje pointed out that the structure Commissioned today is conceived based on initial concept for the heritage Centre, as the COAS has reflected deeply on the initial concept, leading to the expansion of the scope of the Centre as well as this structure.
Major General Omozoje noted that the Nigerian Army heritage and Future Centre is intended to be a factory of ideas geared towards maintaining the essence of who we are as a Nigerian army, what we ought to be, where we ought to be and how to get to the future we have envisioned.
Highlighting the facilities, the COPP said, the Nigerian Army heritage and Future Centre contained a total number of 79 offices, a wing for the chief of Army staff and a wing for the Director General of the Centre. There is a wing for the deputy and a Provost of the Centre.
There is a library and a restaurant and a 140 capacity auditorium. There is a large conference room and a mini conference room. A restaurant that can seat up to 48 part time and then an IT room where the intercom for the whole Centre is controlled from the CCTV, DStv and the audio visuals that support the auditorium.
