The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has directed the Nigerian Army Band Corps to develop practical strategies to retain skilled personnel, strengthen mentorship and sustain discipline amid efforts to improve professional standards and institutional effectiveness.
Shaibu said preserving the experience of seasoned personnel and transferring their knowledge to younger officers and soldiers were essential to maintaining the Corps’ capabilities and ensuring continuity in its operations.
The Army Chief gave the directive during the opening of the Nigerian Army Band Corps’ 10th Annual Training Week and Retreat at Abalti Barracks, Ojuelegba, Lagos, on October 13, 2026.
Represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Major General A.A. Babalola, Shaibu emphasised the need for continuous training, structured mentorship and improved personnel welfare to strengthen the Corps.
The retreat, themed “Building a Formidable Nigerian Army Band Corps: Strategies for Retention, Mentorship and Discipline in a Joint and Multi-Agency Operational Setting,” was designed to address challenges affecting personnel retention, professional development and leadership succession.
According to the Army Chief, the Band Corps plays an important role in preserving military traditions, supporting ceremonial activities, boosting troop morale and strengthening civil-military relations.
He stressed that experienced personnel should be encouraged to pass on their professional knowledge and practical skills to younger members of the Corps through deliberate mentorship programmes and sustained training.
Shaibu also urged commanders to give greater attention to the welfare and professional development of officers and soldiers while maintaining discipline and adherence to military obligations.
He challenged participants to identify the major challenges confronting the Corps and propose workable solutions to improve performance, strengthen leadership development and prepare personnel for future responsibilities.
The Army Chief further emphasised that recommendations arising from the retreat should be practical and achievable, with the Corps’ leadership expected to translate agreed measures into training programmes and everyday operations.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to supporting the Corps and urged its personnel to remain loyal, disciplined and dedicated to duty.
Earlier, the Acting Director of the Nigerian Army Band Corps, Lieutenant Colonel M.A. Toriola, commended the Army Chief for approving and sponsoring the retreat, describing it as an opportunity to strengthen professional competence and improve the development of personnel.
Toriola said the Corps remained an important custodian of the Nigerian Army’s musical heritage and ceremonial traditions.
He noted that its performances at military parades, state functions and national engagements contributed to troop morale and helped project the image of the Army.
He urged participants to engage actively in the retreat’s sessions and develop practical measures to address personnel retention, mentorship, training and discipline.
The retreat is expected to generate recommendations aimed at improving teamwork, professional standards and the Corps’ capacity to meet the Nigerian Army’s ceremonial and operational requirements.
