By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has underscored the imperative of strategic investment in human capital development and advanced military research as a critical pathway toward reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign military imports and accelerating indigenous defense production.
The COAS made this known on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, while receiving the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sunday Echono at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.
Lieutenant General Shaibu expressed profound appreciation to TETFund for its sustained infrastructural and academic support to key military institutions, particularly the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB) and the Nigerian Army College of Management Science (NACMS), Makurdi.
He noted that both institutions continue to play a strategic role in producing the highly skilled manpower required to support the evolving operational and administrative demands of the Nigerian Army.
The COAS disclosed that the Nigerian Army would further engage TETFund in sponsoring specialized training programmes for officers in armament technology, drone warfare, robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging defense technologies aimed at positioning the Nigerian Army to effectively dominate the modern battlespace and operate optimally at the highest professional standards and results driven operations.
Highlighting the rapidly evolving global security environment, Lieutenant General Shaibu stressed that contemporary security threats demand a “whole-of-society approach,” where academic innovation, technological advancement, and military capability are deliberately integrated.
He emphasized that developing robust indigenous expertise in drone and armament technology would provide the nation with the strategic intellectual base required to drive local manufacturing of military hardware, strengthen national self-reliance, and enhance long-term operational sustainability.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sunday Echono, reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to expanding collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces in the areas of advanced research, military intelligence, innovation and emerging technologies. He acknowledged the longstanding contributions of the Armed Forces to the nation’s educational sector through its tri-service institutions and stated that TETFund remains committed to supporting initiatives capable of generating strategic breakthroughs that will not only strengthen national security but also contribute meaningfully to national development.
