COAS CHARGES RESTORE HOPE IX GRADUATES TO CARRY TRAINING INTO NIGERIA’S FRONT LINES

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called on officers and soldiers graduating from Exercise Restore Hope IX to convert the rigours of their training into decisive operational success as they prepare for deployment across Nigeria’s various security theatres. Speaking at the Final Exercise and Graduation Ceremony held on Friday, 23rd January 2026, at the Nigerian Army Training Camp in Kachia, Kaduna State, the Army Chief stressed that modern military operations demand not only firepower but discipline, adaptability and collective purpose.

In a statement released by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, Lieutenant General Shaibu emphasised that combat excellence, teamwork and professionalism remain the cornerstone of battlefield effectiveness. According to the statement, the COAS underscored that Exercise Restore Hope IX was deliberately structured to prepare troops for the complex realities of contemporary warfare, including joint and multi-agency operations, while reinforcing discipline and ethical responsibility as central to operational success.

Lieutenant General Shaibu described Exercise Restore Hope as a key pillar of the Nigerian Army’s ongoing transformation agenda, aimed at building a resilient, mission oriented and agile force. He noted that the advanced infantry training programme exposed participants to high-intensity scenarios designed to sharpen marksmanship, physical endurance, combat, medical response and mental resilience, the set skills considered essential for sustained operations in volatile environments.

The Army Chief further cautioned that success on the battlefield must be matched by adherence to professionalism, respect for human rights and accountability, warning that operational legitimacy and public trust are inseparable from ethical conduct. He said the Nigerian Army remains committed to maintaining public confidence, even as it confronts increasingly asymmetric security threats.

Earlier, the Chief of Training (Army), Major General VU Okoro, described Exercise Restore Hope, now in its ninth series, as one of the Army’s most critical post-basic training platforms. He noted that the exercise continues to play a vital role in refining combat readiness, strengthening resilience and preparing personnel for the evolving demands of modern military engagements.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Lieutenant General Shaibu formally declared Exercise Restore Hope IX closed, congratulated the graduating officers and soldiers and approved the immediate promotion and decoration of seven soldiers who distinguished themselves as instructors during the exercise; a recognition, he said, of excellence, dedication and instructional leadership.