Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu has stressed the importance of strengthening the Nigerian Army’s amphibious capabilities to prepare troops for emerging security challenges.
He spoke on Monday, November 9, during an operational visit to the Amphibious Training School (ATS) in Calabar, Cross River State, where he assessed its capacity to train personnel for operations in riverine, coastal and other difficult environments.
The school’s commandant, Brigadier-General Mathias Igbawua Amatso, briefed Shaibu on its training programmes, facilities, achievements and challenges. The COAS also met instructors and trainees and assessed the quality of training.
He commended the school for equipping personnel to operate across rivers, creeks, wetlands and coastal areas. Amphibious skills, he said, improve troop mobility, flexibility and combat effectiveness, particularly in terrain that terrorists, insurgents and other criminal groups could exploit.
Shaibu said the growing complexity of Nigeria’s security environment made specialised training essential. He cited the need to secure waterways and critical infrastructure, disrupt criminal networks, and support joint operations with other armed services and security agencies.
He said the Federal Government’s efforts to expand the Army’s formations, increase its manpower and modernise its operational capabilities should be matched by investment in military training institutions.
Schools such as the ATS, he said, help turn expansion and modernisation plans into practical capabilities by developing the specialised knowledge, skills and adaptability required for contemporary warfare.
The COAS described the Army’s training institutions as essential to force generation, professional development and operational readiness. Their facilities, teaching materials, training methods and staffing, he said, must keep pace with the needs of an expanding and technologically advancing force.
He urged instructors to maintain high standards and trainees to uphold discipline, resilience and professionalism.
Shaibu assured the school that Army Headquarters would support improvements to its infrastructure, training facilities and instructional materials. Developing skilled personnel, he said, remained central to building a responsive and combat-ready Army capable of fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities.
