COAS orders overhaul of NDA training, seeks tougher cadets and modern warfare curriculum
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has ordered the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) to intensify cadet training with stronger focus on discipline, character, courage and strategic thinking to match the demands of modern warfare.
Shaibu issued the directive on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by the NDA Commandant, Major General Oluyemi Olatoye, to the Army Headquarters in Abuja. He said the evolving security landscape requires a new generation of officers trained under tougher, battle-ready models and guided by a curriculum that reflects current operational realities.
He also called for the strengthening of the academy’s research institutions especially the Department of Military Science describing research as the intellectual backbone needed to drive innovation, support the defence industry and enhance self-reliance.
The COAS urged a comprehensive curriculum review to incorporate night-operations training, higher physical-fitness benchmarks, artificial intelligence applications and other emerging aspects of warfare. These measures, he said, will equip young officers with the “warrior ethos” and leadership traits necessary to advance his command philosophy of a professional, adaptable and combat-ready Army.
Shaibu assured the Commandant of full support to implement the reforms, reaffirming the Army Headquarters’ commitment to producing officers who are strategically sound and prepared for today’s complex security environment.
Responding, Major General Olatoye congratulated the COAS on his appointment and expressed appreciation for the confidence placed in him to lead the nation’s premier military training institution. He described the NDA as the “training factory” for the Armed Forces and pledged to build on past achievements while seeking continued support to deliver disciplined and dependable officers for national security.
