The Nigerian Army has institutionalised a structured career transition support system for senior officers with the commencement of the second cohort of its Senior Executive Career Transition Programme (SECTP).
The programme, organised by the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC), commenced on Monday, August 17, 2026, at Zuma Rock Resort, Suleja, Niger State, and is designed to prepare senior officers for productive careers and continued national service after retirement.
According to an official statement signed by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the initiative reflects the Army’s commitment to extending personnel welfare beyond active service and ensuring that retiring officers are adequately prepared for the social, economic and professional realities of life after retirement.
Declaring the programme open, former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya (Rtd), urged participants to regard retirement as the beginning of a new chapter rather than the end of their professional journey.
Yahaya encouraged the officers to approach the transition with confidence, strategic planning and optimism, stressing that the leadership, discipline, integrity and strategic expertise acquired during military service remained valuable assets that could continue to benefit the nation.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, said the programme was conceived about five months ago following extensive consultations on the need to institutionalise a structured transition framework for senior officers.
Represented by the Chief of Logistics (Army), Major General AA Adeyinka, the COAS described the initiative as a landmark welfare intervention that had evolved into a strategic institutional programme aligned with global best practices in executive career transition and personnel development.
Shaibu said the Army’s obligation to its personnel extended beyond their years of active service, noting that officers should retire not only with their statutory benefits but also with the knowledge, resilience and confidence required to thrive in civilian life.
He said lessons from the inaugural cohort had highlighted the importance of mentorship, financial planning, professional guidance and peer learning in helping officers navigate the realities associated with retirement.
According to him, properly prepared retirees would remain valuable national assets capable of contributing to governance, security and socio-economic development.
Earlier, the Director General, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Major General Tariweriye Gagariga, said Army officers devoted the most productive years of their lives to defending the nation through rigorous training and demanding operational commitments.
Gagariga noted that retirement could bring significant changes in identity, income and social engagement if not deliberately planned, explaining that the SECTP was established to provide a sustainable and structured pathway for successful career transition.
He said the initiative was also in line with the COAS’ Command Philosophy, which places personnel welfare, morale and development at the centre of Army policies and decisions.
The second cohort of the programme comprises 31 participants, including 26 serving senior officers and five recently retired officers.
The Nigerian Army said the initiative would help preserve institutional knowledge while empowering retiring personnel to remain productive and relevant to national development.
It added that the leadership experience, professional competence and strategic insight acquired by officers over decades of service would continue to support Nigeria’s security architecture and national development beyond active military service.
