The House of Representatives has officially confirmed the appointment of Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
His confirmation followed the presentation of a report by Babajimi Benson, Chairman of the Defence Committee, after a joint screening by the committees on army and defence.
During the screening, Oluyede was evaluated on his experience, qualifications, and approach to inter-agency relations and military challenges. Benson commended his performance, highlighting his excellent account of himself and the committee’s satisfaction with his character, professional exposure, and leadership potential.
In his address to the committee, Oluyede emphasised his readiness to lead the army, citing his extensive experience in national security and senior roles within the Nigerian Army.
“In the past five years, I have served at the senior and management level in the Nigerian Army and I have somewhat been part of the running of the service in its entirety, thus I cannot completely dissolve myself from the successes and setbacks of our great army.
“I see my nomination as a privilege and opportunity to make positive changes to the Nigerian Army to enable it to fulfil its constitutional responsibility,” Oluyede said.
President Bola Tinubu had appointed Oluyede as acting COAS on October 30 following the illness of his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who passed away on November 5. Shortly after Lagbaja’s demise, Oluyede was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general.
Prior to his elevation, Oluyede was the commander of the infantry corps in Kaduna State. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, he rose to the rank of major general in September 2020 and has been an integral part of army leadership for decades. He and the late Lagbaja were coursemates in the 39th regular course of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
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