Army boss pushes NDA to embrace AI, night ops training

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, has urged a comprehensive revision of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) curriculum to better address today’s rapidly evolving security landscape.

He said the Academy’s training systems must place stronger emphasis on night operations, physical readiness, artificial intelligence, and other emerging areas shaping modern warfare.

General Shaibu made the remarks while receiving the NDA Commandant, Major-General Oluyemi Olatoye, during a visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, updating the curriculum is essential to producing young officers who are attuned to the realities of contemporary battlefields and equipped with the warrior mindset, resilience, and leadership competencies needed to counter present-day threats.

He further highlighted the importance of strengthening the NDA’s research institutions—particularly the Department of Military Science—describing it as vital for advancing the National Defence Industry, deepening indigenous innovation, and promoting self-reliance in military technology.

General Shaibu noted that a solid research framework would serve as the intellectual foundation of a modern, agile and technologically capable fighting force.

He assured the Commandant of his full support in driving these reforms, reiterating his determination to ensure the NDA continues to produce officers who are strategically grounded, operationally effective, and fully prepared for Nigeria’s evolving defence challenges.

Major-General Olatoye, in his remarks, pledged to build on the achievements of past Commandants. He appealed for sustained support from the COAS to enable the Academy fulfil its mandate of grooming disciplined, professional and competent officers for the nation’s Armed Forces.

He expressed gratitude to the military leadership for the confidence placed in him, describing the NDA as the “training factory” for future leaders of the Nigerian military.