The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has said efficient data management and record keeping remain indispensable to building a professional, adaptable, combat ready and resilient Nigerian Army.

The COAS stated this on Tuesday while declaring open the Fourth Edition of the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary Data Management and Record-Keeping Seminar at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess, Abuja.

Blueprint reports that the theme of the seminar is, “Efficient Data Management and Record-Keeping: Imperative for Advancing the Transformation of the Nigerian Army.”

Represented by the Dean, Faculty of Combat Arms Research, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Major General Eyitayo Oyinlola, the COAS said the Nigerian Army is currently undergoing a deliberate process of transformation aimed at enhancing operational effectiveness, improving personnel administration, strengthening institutional accountability and adapting to the demands of an increasingly technology-driven security environment.

“Achieving these objectives requires more than modern equipment and well-trained personnel; it also depends on the availability of accurate, reliable, secure and timely information.
“Every decision on commissioning, recruitment, postings, promotions, welfare, logistics, operational planning and strategic policy is only as sound as the quality of the data upon which it is based,” he said.

Lt -Gen. Shaibu said the theme of the seminar is both both timely and relevant because it reminds participants that data is no longer merely an administrative requirement but a strategic institutional asset that supports decision-making, preserves organisational memory, promotes accountability, enhances operational readiness and safeguards the integrity of personnel management system.

“As the Nigerian Army continues to embrace digital transformation, the responsibility of those entrusted with managing official records has become even more critical,” he said.

The COAS said that the broad representation of participants at the seminar reflects Nigerian army’s collective commitment to developing a common understanding of contemporary data management practices and standardising record-keeping procedures across the Service.

” I expect that at the end of this Seminar, participants will return to their respective appointments better equipped to improve data quality, strengthen records administration and support evidence-based decision-making at all levels of command,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Acting Military Secretary (Army), Brigadier General Mathew Oyekola, described efficient data management and record keeping as indispensable enablers of sound administration, institutional memory and operational effectiveness. He stated that the seminar aligns with the COAS Command Philosophy of “Advancing the Transformation of the Nigerian Army into a More Professional, Adaptable, Combat Ready and Resilient Force Capable of Decisively Discharging its Constitutional Responsibilities Within a Joint and Multi-Agency Environment.”

Brigadier General Oyekola noted that the transformation of a modern military institution depends significantly on the quality, accuracy, security and accessibility of its information assets. He explained that efficient data and records management provides the foundation for credible decision-making, effective career management, operational planning, logistics support, legal compliance, financial accountability and institutional continuity.