Nigerian Army has begun its twenty-eighteen leadership development training for seventeen of its Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels on managing crises and chaos in the country.

According the Army, the training being facilitated by the Nigerian Institute of Management, is holding at the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration, Apapa, Lagos, themed: “The Leadership Edge: Strategies for Overcoming Crisis and Chaos”.

While flagging off the seminar, Commandant, Nigerian Army College of Logistics, Major-General Richard Duru said there was need to evolve strategies to overcome crisis, saying the choice of the theme was a clear indication that the army was not left behind in the development of leaders.

Duru said as leaders, the need to sharpen their skills and evolve strategies for overcoming crisis and chaos cannot be underestimated, saying military leadership was the process of influencing others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction and motivation.

He said decision making in crisis and chaos might require spontaneity and intuition, saying the ability to take appropriate decision was element of training and experience.

“The Nigerian Army is a key component of the security architecture of Nigeria, therefore, it deserves competent and efficient leaders that will translate ideas into practical roadmaps for actions.

“Leadership development in the army is imperative in view of emerging challenges which have manifested in rampant ethno-religious upheavals and increasing wave of terrorism across the country.

“To successfully handle the current challenges, there is need for purposeful, skillful and dynamic leadership across all the chains of army command,” he said.

Duru, however, enjoined the officers to take the seminar seriously and urged them to make use of the rare opportunity.

Earlier, the Commandant of Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration, Brigadier-General Bamidele Taiwo said the seminar was designed for Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels.

Taiwo said the theme was carefully selected to prepare the participants for their day-to-day assignments which require imaginative and creative thinking, saying the theme shall dwell extensively on ways of ensuring effective and efficient management of human resources toward the attainment of optimal performance in their duties.

He said the topics to be discussed were carefully selected to meet the expectations of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, in improving service delivery in the army.