The President of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association, Dr Safiya Shaibu, wife of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has said that strong family support is essential to sustaining soldiers’ morale, resilience and operational effectiveness.
She said the understanding and support of military families were critical to the success of operations, particularly amid growing security challenges and the emotional and psychological demands of military service.
Shaibu stated this on Wednesday at a sensitisation seminar for spouses and children of Nigerian Army personnel at the Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna State.
PUNCH Online reports that the seminar, organised by the Nigerian Army Headquarters Department of Transformation and Innovation, had the theme, “Enlightening Families on Nigerian Army Operations and Their Roles in Mission Success.”
Represented by the Chairman of the NAOWA Education Committee, Mrs Abisat Abdullahi, the association’s president said the programme was designed to deepen families’ understanding of Army operations and equip them to provide effective support to personnel.
She noted that contemporary security challenges required not only a professional and resilient fighting force but also informed, supportive and united families.
According to her, prolonged deployments and the peculiarities of military life place considerable emotional and psychological pressure on soldiers and their loved ones, making family support indispensable to sustaining morale and cohesion.
“We cannot achieve lasting operational success if the home front is left uninformed or unsupported,” she said.
Shaibu urged military families to understand the demands of service, the reasons for deployments and the welfare support systems available to them.
She reaffirmed NAOWA’s commitment to improving the welfare of military families through initiatives aimed at promoting unity, self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.
“Strong families make strong soldiers, and strong soldiers make a strong nation. Every success on the battlefield rests on the foundation of the home,” she added.
Earlier, the Chief of Army Transformation and Innovation, Maj.-Gen. Peter Okoye, said the seminar was organised to address observations from ongoing military operations across the country.
Okoye, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, said the Army had identified challenges relating to combat effectiveness, the impact of operations on personnel, and drug and substance abuse.
He said the department had previously organised a seminar for personnel on warrior ethos, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse.
The general stressed that families played a critical role in identifying early signs of behavioural changes in soldiers, given their close interactions with them outside operational environments.
Also speaking, Mrs Maryam Inuwa described the family sensitisation programme as a follow-up to the seminar for military personnel, saying it was approved in recognition of the importance of the home front to mission success.
She said the strength of the Army depended not only on equipment and operational capabilities but also on the resilience and well-being of personnel and their families.
Inuwa said the programme focused on four key areas: leadership in family life, practising warrior ethos at home, preventing drug and substance abuse, and supporting the recovery of personnel experiencing PTSD.
She urged families to promote mutual respect, effective communication and discipline, while discouraging substance abuse and supporting the mental well-being of their loved ones.
Inuwa thanked the Chief of Army Staff for approving the initiative and commended the NAOWA president, resource persons and participating families.
She expressed confidence that the engagement would strengthen relations between the Army and military families, improve personnel welfare and ultimately enhance operational effectiveness.
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