RismadarVoice Reporters, August 18, 2026
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has identified effective data management and record-keeping as strategic tools for improving decision-making, accountability and operational effectiveness in the Nigerian Army.
Shaibu stated this on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 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.
The seminar, themed “Efficient Data Management and Record-Keeping: Imperative for Advancing the Transformation of the Nigerian Army,” brought together military personnel, academics and other experts to discuss modern approaches to managing, securing and preserving institutional information.
Represented by the Dean, Faculty of Combat Arms Research, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Major General Eyitayo Oyinlola, the COAS said investments in personnel, equipment and training could only achieve their full potential when supported by accurate, secure and accessible data.
He noted that critical Army decisions concerning recruitment, commissioning, postings, promotions, career progression, welfare, logistics, force generation and operational planning depend heavily on the quality and integrity of available information.
Shaibu said the changing security environment and rapid technological development require the Army to move beyond traditional record-keeping methods.
He called for integrated, secure and technology-enabled information systems, alongside stronger capacity in:
Data governance
Cybersecurity
Digital records preservation
Information assurance
Interoperability
Institutional resilience
The COAS also stressed that data management is not solely the responsibility of specialised departments, but a collective institutional responsibility requiring discipline, professionalism and accountability at every level of command.
He urged participants to apply lessons from the seminar to produce measurable improvements across their formations, units and establishments.
In his welcome address, the Acting Military Secretary (Army), Brigadier General Mathew Oyekola, described efficient data management as essential to sound administration, institutional memory and operational effectiveness.
He said reliable information provides the foundation for career management, operational planning, logistics, legal compliance, financial accountability and institutional continuity.
Oyekola urged personnel to maintain high standards of accuracy, timeliness and accountability, stressing that every personnel record and official report contributes to preserving the institutional memory of the Army.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Major General Nosakhare Ugbo (rtd.) argued that modern military career management can no longer depend on fragmented and predominantly manual systems.
He said reliable data directly affects processes including recruitment, commissioning, postings, promotions, appointments, training, welfare and retirement benefits.
Ugbo therefore called for greater investment in technology, data governance, cybersecurity and personnel capacity development.
The seminar featured lectures and interactive sessions addressing digital records management, cybersecurity, data governance, information assurance, records preservation and contemporary approaches to personnel administration.
Shaibu also commended the Department of Military Secretary for organising the seminar and expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as continued support for the modernisation, operational capability, personnel welfare and institutional transformation of the Nigerian Army.
