Nigerian Army holds seminar on efficient human resource management
By Aysha S. Rabo
The Nigerian Army on Tuesday 5th March 2024 held a seminar on career planning and management for its officers, with the aim of enhancing their professional development and addressing the challenges of recruitment and personnel administration.
The seminar, organised by the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary, was held at the Armed Forces Officers Mess Asokoro, Abuja, and had the theme, “Efficient Human Resource Management in the Twenty-First Century: Imperative for Sustaining a Professional Nigerian Army in a Joint Environment.”
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja was the Special Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony, where he stressed the importance of the seminar in improving the officer corps of the Nigerian Army.
“Seminars of this nature are important because the officer corps of any army is crucial to its professional development,” he said.
He also highlighted the evolving security dynamics in the country and the region, which necessitated policy adjustments and manpower growth in the Nigerian Army.
He cited the example of the institution of promotion examinations and courses for Direct Regular Combatant Commission officers, which he said was a result of previous seminars and brainstorming sessions.
He further aligned the theme of the seminar with his command philosophy’s Objective Number One, which is to develop highly skilled and competent change managers at all levels.
The COAS challenged the Department of Military Secretary to work with other relevant departments to digitise officers’ records, reduce paper use, and align the system for better gains from the competencies of every officer.
He also urged the department to explore modalities for specialisations and balanced assessments of officers, while emphasising the importance of forging ahead with digitisation efforts.
The immediate past COAS, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya, also shared his insights during the seminar, and reiterated the imperative of continuous training and improvement for the Nigerian Army.
“Being here himself is a message. That training is important,” he said, referring to the presence of the current COAS.
He also commended Lt Gen Lagbaja for his comment about the seminar, saying, “The Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja is here himself. And you have heard his comment about the seminar, encouraging them.”
The seminar, which is the fifth edition of its kind, brought together experienced retired senior officers, intellectuals, and key stakeholders to generate and fine-tune ideas towards policy formulation and enhancement of the workings of the Department of Military Secretary.
Nigerian Army holds seminar on efficient human resource management