The Nigerian Army has intensified efforts to improve personnel administration and institutional accountability through stronger data management and records keeping practices.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of the fourth edition of the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary Data Management and Record Keeping Seminar, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Represented by Maj. Gen. Eyitayo Oyinlola, Dean of the Faculty of Combat Arm Research at the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Shaibu said accurate and reliable data remained central to the Army’s transformation agenda.
He explained that decisions relating to recruitment, commissioning, postings, promotions, welfare, logistics, operational planning and strategic policies depended on the quality of available data.
“Every decision on commissioning, recruitment, postings, promotions, welfare, logistics, operational planning and strategic policy is only as sound as the quality of the data upon which it is based,” he said.
The COAS noted that data had moved beyond being a routine administrative requirement to becoming a strategic institutional asset that supports decision making, organisational memory, accountability and operational readiness.
He added that the Army’s growing adoption of digital technologies had made the secure, reliable and timely management of official records increasingly important.
Shaibu said the seminar, themed “Efficient Data Management and Record Keeping: Imperative for Advancing Transformation of the Nigerian Army,” was timely and would help standardise records management practices and improve data quality across Army formations, units, corps and establishments.
He urged participants to share experiences, identify challenges and develop practical solutions that would strengthen data administration across the service.
The COAS also directed the Department of Military Secretary to sustain reforms aimed at improving the integrity, accessibility, security and standardisation of personnel records.
Earlier, the Acting Military Secretary, Brig. Gen. Olawale Oyekola, described reliable data and effective records management as indispensable to efficient personnel administration.
Oyekola said appointments, postings, promotions and career management decisions relied heavily on accurate and accessible records, stressing that institutions could only effectively manage what they properly recorded.
He said the seminar was designed to equip participants with skills in digital records management, information assurance, cybersecurity and risk analysis.
According to him, the initiative was established under the former Military Secretary, Maj. Gen. Dey Salam, as a platform for addressing data management and records keeping challenges within the Army.
Oyekola urged participants to translate the knowledge gained from the seminar into measurable improvements within their respective formations, units and establishments.
He stressed that accuracy, accessibility and speed must remain priorities in managing personnel information, supported by clear standard operating procedures.
The Acting Military Secretary further emphasised the importance of protecting sensitive information, controlling access and strengthening quality assurance mechanisms to safeguard institutional accountability.
The seminar brought together participants from Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters departments, formations, corps, establishments, units and sister services.
The event is expected to produce practical recommendations for strengthening data governance and records management as the Nigerian Army continues its digital transformation efforts.
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