Abuja: The Nigerian Army has tasked senior officers graduating from the Leadership and Strategic Studies Course to translate their academic gains into measurable results in their formations and units. The Chief of Training (Army), Maj.-Gen. Valentine Okoro, emphasized this during a luncheon organized by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) to honor the graduates of Course 4 of 2025.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Okoro, represented by the Deputy Chief of Training (Courses), Brig.-Gen. T. Ahmed, highlighted the officers’ impressive performance in the course, raising expectations about their impact in the field. He commended NARC as a crucial enabler of the Nigerian Army and praised its management and staff for their role in sustaining professional development and strategic capacity building.
Okoro urged the officers to return to their formations with renewed commitment and apply the knowledge acquired to address emerging and complex security challenges. He stressed the importance of translating the skills learned into real-world applications that enhance the army’s operational effectiveness.
Earlier, retired Maj.-Gen. James Myam, the Director-General of NARC, challenged the officers to make integrity a defining principle of their leadership. He emphasized that the true test of their success would be their ability to produce tangible and knowledge-driven outcomes when faced with complex problems. Myam illustrated the importance of integrity with a story about a Sudanese participant who was refunded a small amount after overpaying a course fee, demonstrating that integrity involves doing the right thing even when unnoticed.
The course, conducted in partnership with the Postgraduate School of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to navigate contemporary security challenges. Successful participants will receive a Master’s degree in Leadership and Strategic Studies from the NDA Postgraduate School and a Fellowship of Leadership and Strategic Studies from NARC.
Lt.-Col. Bolaji Oladejo, speaking on behalf of the graduates, pledged that the officers would use their acquired knowledge to strengthen the Nigerian Army and national security. He described the 45-week program as demanding, enriching, and transformative, and expressed gratitude to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, for nominating them for the course. Oladejo also encouraged his colleagues to uphold NARC’s values and remain good ambassadors of the institution.
The event saw attendance from senior Army officers, NARC directors and staff, faculty members, resource persons, course participants, invited guests, and media representatives.