Jaji, Kaduna – On July 14, 2023, at the Headquarters Infantry Corps Centre in Jaji, Kaduna, Major General Olufemi Oluyede officially took over as the 56th Commander of the Infantry Corps Nigerian Army (NA).
At the ceremony, the outgoing Commander, Major General Christopher Gwabin Musa, who also serves as the Chief of Defence Staff, thanked President Bola Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for believing he was deserving of the position. He also expressed his gratitude to the commanders and members of the Infantry Corps NA for their assistance throughout his brief tenure and asked for their continued assistance for his successor. The Corps received assurances from Major General Musa about his unwavering dedication to and support of their goals.
Major General Olufemi Oluyede, the new Commander, thanked the departing Commander in his inauguration speech for making time to attend the ceremony despite his busy schedule as the Chief of Defence Staff. Additionally, Major General Oluyede expressed his gratitude to Major General TA Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), for giving him the reins of one of the Nigerian Army’s oldest Corps. He promised to put up a lot of effort to earn the COAS’s trust.
The new commander thanked his predecessor for his accomplishments and promised to lead the Infantry Corps to greater heights by putting the needs of the commanders and soldiers under his command first.
Distinguished guests attended the ceremony, including Brigadier General OG Onubogu, Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, Major General BA Alabi, General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Olatoye, Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, and Air Vice Marshal HI Alhaji, Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
The Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army is now under the command of Major General Olufemi Oluyede, whose leadership will be crucial in bolstering the Corps and sustaining its longstanding traditions of excellence. In order to successfully confront the security difficulties the country is currently facing, the Nigerian Army is still dedicated to developing professionalism, welfare, and operational readiness.