Army chief tasks heritage centre on innovation

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has tasked the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC), on thorough analysis of policies, practices and procedures towards enhancing the capabilities of the army.
Lagbaja gave the directive at the inaugural seminar of the centre with the theme, ”Transforming the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre from Dream to Reality,” on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the centre was conceptualised and established by the former COAS, retired Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya with the mandate to serve as a research hub for generation of ideas, policies and strategies for the army.
According to him, army is currently confronting a myriad of security challenges across all geopolitical zones in the country, ranging from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, farmers/herders clashes to oil theft.
“I believe today’s event will enhance Nigerian Army’s capabilities through analysis of policies, practices and procedures by proposing novel and pragmatic options, through innovation and application of technology.
“The mission of NAHFC is to serve as a research hub for generation of ideas, policies and strategies, leveraging the core competencies of the army to defeat current and future threats while preserving its heritage,” he said.
Lagbaja said it was expected that the inaugural lecture and the subsequent interactive session would generate new ideas and outcomes that would elucidate on the nexus between the centre’s vision and his command philosophy.
His command philosophy is “to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment.”
He urged officers and other staff of NAHFC to tap from the knowledge and wealth of experience of the resource persons for the benefits of themselves and the centre.
According to him, NAHFC is the first of its kind in West Africa and its staff must, therefore, work hard to ensure that the quality of work done at the centre was comparable to any of its kind anywhere in the world.
“I am aware that the calibre of officers here are result-oriented officers that are ready to carry out the task of taking the army to enviable heights.”