COAS Unveils 90 Family Quarters, Expands Accommodation for Over 1,320 Army Personnel
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has commissioned 90 family quarters and new administrative facilities at four Nigerian Army locations as part of efforts to improve soldiers’ welfare and strengthen operational readiness.
The projects, commissioned on Thursday, comprise 30-family quarters each at Mogadishu Cantonment, Lungi Barracks and Mambilla Barracks, alongside administrative offices and a training shade at Aguiyi Ironsi Cantonment.
The commissioning coincided with Shaibu’s first anniversary as Chief of Army Staff and formed part of a wider infrastructure development programme that has provided additional accommodation for more than 1,320 Army personnel across different categories, according to the Army’s Director of Procurement.
Shaibu, represented by the Chief of Special Services, Army Headquarters, Major General Aminu Garba, said the projects reflected his commitment to improving the living and working conditions of officers and soldiers.
He said a strong administrative foundation and decent accommodation were essential to military effectiveness, stressing that personnel who lived in secure and comfortable environments were better positioned to perform their duties with focus and commitment.
“No army can achieve operational excellence on the battlefield if the administrative foundation at home is weak, or if its brave personnel are housed in substandard environment,” he said.
The Army Chief said the new facilities were designed to provide personnel and their families with improved accommodation, clean water, reliable power supply, security and a healthy living environment.
He added that supporting infrastructure, including road networks, security fencing and maintenance facilities, had been incorporated to ensure the durability and continued functionality of the projects.
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Shaibu described the facilities as investments in human capital, noting that improved living conditions and modern office spaces would enhance administrative efficiency and support ongoing military operations.
He urged commanders and personnel who would occupy the facilities to maintain them properly, warning that poor management could undermine the purpose of the investments.
According to him, the Army would expect improved performance, administrative readiness and commitment to ongoing operations from personnel benefiting from the new working environment.
He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his continued support for the Nigerian Army.
Earlier, the Director of Procurement, Maj.-Gen. Sadasu Yakasai, represented by Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Fidelis, said the projects formed part of a wider infrastructure development programme aimed at addressing accommodation shortages and improving working conditions across Army formations and establishments.
Yakasai said the wider programme had provided additional accommodation for more than 1,200 junior personnel, over 70 senior non-commissioned officers and their families, and more than 50 officers.
The figures represent more than 1,320 across the reported categories, although the reference to senior non-commissioned officers includes their families.
He explained that the residential projects would help reduce the Army’s accommodation deficit, while the new administrative facilities would strengthen command and administrative functions.
The procurement director said the completion of the projects, including some awarded under the 2024 capital appropriation, demonstrated the Army leadership’s commitment to translating approved funding into tangible infrastructure.
He commended the principal staff officers, commanders, project supervisors, contractors and other personnel involved in delivering the facilities.
Yakasai urged beneficiaries to take responsibility for the proper use and maintenance of the buildings to protect public resources and ensure their long-term usefulness.
By PRNigeria
