The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, says the army needs to become more tactful, ingenious and innovative in its operations to be able to tackle the current security challenges in the country.

Yahaya said this when he declared open the 22nd combat service support training week at the School of Supply and Transport on Tuesday in Benin.

He explained that despite “lean resources and stretched manpower”, more needs to be done in logistic support in the army’s operations.

The training has as its theme: “Providing effective combat service support for the Nigerian Army to accomplish assigned missions in a joint environment.”

The COAS said, “Giving the volatile and certain complex operational environments the army operates today, our manpower is continually being stretched, thereby presenting new challenges that require tact, ingenuity and innovation to tackle.

“It is, therefore, expedient for the army to continue to improve on the existing structure while also developing more efficient means of addressing contemporary and emerging challenges.

“It is in view of this that I find the theme very apt, expedient and timely. It fits into my vision of having a professional army on accomplished mission with a joint environment within Nigeria.

“I charge you to use the training week to come up with ways, means and method of improving our competencies and effectiveness in the provision of logistics support for the Nigerian army,” said Yahaya.

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According to him, more than ever before, the Nigerian army is currently engaged in several theatres of operations with corresponding demands on logistics.

“It behold on all supporting Corps to find ingenious and workable ways of efficient support for the Nigerian army in these numerous operations.

“A lot has been done in the past but more still needs to be done in logistics support in our operations in spite of lean resources.

“I, therefore, urge you all to derive maximum benefits from this training week. As we project into the future in operations, our key priority will be to maintain all round operational readiness through improved training, recruitment of personnel and better welfare.

“Let me, therefore, reaffirm President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to providing the required support for the Nigerian army,” said the COAS.

He also thanked Gov. Godwin Obaseki for gracing the ceremony and commended him for his donation of 20-bedroom accommodation to the school of supply and transport and other supports to the Nigerian army.

In his remarks, Obaseki thanked the COAS for his laudable initiatives since assumption of office, which he said had contributed to the relative peace and security in the state.

Yahaya performed the groundbreaking of the Nigerian army school of supply and transport auditorium and inspected the donated 20-bedroom accommodation project by the state government.