President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, visited Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, for the first time after he was sworn in and will declare open the Chief of Army Staff’s (COAS’s) Annual Conference 2023.
The conference with the theme “Personnel Motivation for Effective Operational Performance in a Joint Environment” is expected to last until December 16, 2023, at the Major General MSA Aliyu Hall, Command Guest House, Maiduguri, Borno State.
The Presidential Aircraft, which landed at Air Force Base Maiduguri at about 11:30 am amidst tight security and a retinue of top federal government functionaries, was received by Governor Babagana Zulum, among other dignitaries.
The President, in company with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Toaheed Lagbaja, Theatre Commander Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Gold Chibuisi, and other entourage, drove and paid homage to the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji, Dr Abubakar Ibn-Umar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi, at his palace.
Tinubu will use the opportunity to commission about 100 electric and natural gas buses procured by the Borno State Government as part of palliatives to cushion the economic hardship in the state.
The President, who is the special guest of honour at the conference, is also expected to address troops in the ‘Theatre Operation Hadin Kai’, lay the foundation stone of Headquarters 7 Division at Maimalari Military Cantonment, inspect the ongoing Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Project in Maiduguri, and other activities.
The week-long conference is an important annual event in the calendar of the Nigerian Army (NA) due to its significance to National security, peace, and stability.
It offers the NA an avenue to take stock, evaluate, and comprehensively review ongoing operational engagements of the NA in all theatres of operations across the six geopolitical zones within the year, among other key items.
This will provide the NA with in-depth insight to make far-reaching decisions that will be result-oriented towards achieving its set objective of addressing multifaceted security challenges in the country.
The conference would also create an opportunity for the COAS to have ‘physical’ interaction with the General Officers Commanding, Field Commanders, and other senior officers to provide requisite guidance on enhancing NA operations and activities.
