Tag: Defence Headquarters’

CDS to Veterans: Your Sacrifice Still Shapes Our Priorities

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Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede has reaffirmed the Defence Headquarters’ commitment to the welfare, dignity and continued relevance of Nigeria’s military veterans, speaking when the National President of the Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers Association, Major General Hussaini Abayomi Salihu, paid a courtesy visit to him in Abuja. Salihu said the delegation’s visit was meant to familiarise the association’s new executives with the CDS and strengthen engagement with Defence Headquarters, commending Oluyede for his sustained outreach to veterans across all six geopolitical zones and thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for recent salary improvements benefiting both serving and retired personnel. Among the association’s requests was the creation of a comprehensive database of its members, which Salihu said would help connect qualified retired officers with companies and organisations seeking their expertise. Oluyede thanked the veterans for their service and sacrifice, assuring them the ongoing salary review is comprehensive and that adjustments to serving personnel’s pay carry consequential benefits for veterans’ pensions under existing policy. He highlighted an ongoing collaboration with the Bank of Industry to give serving and retired personnel access to low interest business loans, describing it as part of broader efforts to promote economic empowerment and self-reliance among the veteran community. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Riyadh Envoy Visits Defence HQ as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia Widen Military Ties

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The Defence Headquarters has received the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Yousef bin Mohammed Al Balawi, on a courtesy visit aimed at deepening bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries. Chief of Defence Staff General OO Oluyede welcomed the Ambassador, stressing the importance Nigeria attaches to its relationship with Saudi Arabia and the need to expand existing channels of cooperation that would strengthen the professional capacity of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Al Balawi described Nigeria as an important partner in Africa and reiterated the Kingdom’s readiness to support closer engagement, particularly in defence and security, with both sides agreeing that stronger institutional links between their armed forces would help address shared security challenges. Oluyede thanked the Ambassador for the Kingdom’s continued goodwill toward Nigeria and expressed optimism that the discussions would translate into concrete areas of cooperation going forward. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Uniform Off, Gratitude Never Fades: CDS Takes Welfare Message to Northeast Veterans

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The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has reaffirmed the Defence Headquarters’ commitment to the welfare and dignity of Nigeria’s veterans during an interactive session with retired personnel from the Northeast Zone in Yola, Adamawa State, the second in a series of planned zonal consultations. Addressing concerns over salary increments, Oluyede assured veterans the exercise is fully inclusive, explaining that implementation is ongoing and that adjustments to serving personnel’s pay carry a consequential increase to veterans’ pensions under existing policy. He outlined ongoing welfare initiatives, including a partnership with the Bank of Industry to give serving and retired personnel and their families access to low interest business loans, alongside the construction of a Defence Hospital that will reserve a share of its capacity for veterans. He said both initiatives carry the backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander in Chief. Veterans used the session to raise other welfare concerns, which the CDS addressed directly, promising continued attention going forward. The engagement drew veteran leaders including RANAO President Major General HA Salihu (rtd), Major General LP Ngubane (rtd) and Air Vice Marshal NE Nzokala (rtd), with the RANAO President thanking the CDS and urging fellow veterans to support the leadership’s welfare efforts. Closing the session, Oluyede paid tribute to the veterans’ sacrifices, saying the nation’s gratitude for those who served will never fade. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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