The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed that robust logistics training and efficient sustainment capabilities are indispensable to operational success, declaring that no military operation can achieve decisive results without well-trained logistics personnel capable of providing timely, coordinated and sustainable support.
The Army Chief made the declaration on Friday during the graduation ceremony of participants of the Logistics Staff Officers Course and the Junior Leadership Logistics Staff Officers Course at the Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management (NACOLM) in Lagos.
Addressing the graduating officers, Lieutenant General Shaibu said the evolving nature of contemporary security threats demands logistics professionals who are highly skilled, innovative and adaptable to effectively sustain operations within joint and multi-agency environments.
He described logistics as far more than a support function, stressing that it is a strategic enabler that must be fully integrated into operational planning from the outset of every military mission.
According to the COAS, effective logistics planning enhances combat power, troop mobility, force sustainment, equipment serviceability, medical support and efficient resource utilisation, all of which are critical to achieving operational objectives.
He noted that the Nigerian Army’s ongoing operations against terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities continue to demonstrate the importance of sound logistics planning and professional competence in sustaining operational momentum and delivering mission success.
Lieutenant General Shaibu charged the graduating officers to apply the knowledge, leadership skills and professional competencies acquired during the courses to strengthen logistics planning and sustainment within their respective formations and units.
He reminded them that the combat effectiveness of any military force is directly linked to the quality of its logistics support, stressing that operational success depends not only on the bravery of troops but also on the efficiency of the systems that sustain them.
“An Army that fails to plan its logistics has already failed in its mission,” the COAS stated.
The graduation ceremony marked another milestone in the Nigerian Army’s drive to strengthen its logistics capability and build a professional, resilient and mission-ready force capable of addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges through effective operational support and sustainment.
