The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) has been the title of the professional head of the
Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). The Chief of Army Staff is the highest ranking military officer of the Nigerian Army.
History Formation
The Nigerian ...
since 1966. Prior to 1966, the title was General Officer Commanding, Nigerian Army (GOCNA). Since 1980, the post has been immediately subordinate to the
Chief of Defence Staff, the post held by the professional head of the
Nigerian Armed Forces. The position is often occupied by the most senior
commissioned officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contex ...
appointed by the
President of Nigeria.
The current Chief of Army Staff is Lieutenant General
Farouk Yahaya, who succeeded Lieutenant General
Ibrahim Attahiru, in May 2021 a few days after he died in an
Air Crash.
Role
In the chain of command, the Chief of Army Staff reports to the
Chief of Defence Staff, who in turn, reports to the
Defence Minister
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in s ...
, accountable to the President of Nigeria.
The Statutory duty of the Officer is to formulate and execute policies towards the highest attainment of National Security and operational competence of the Nigerian Army.
Chiefs of the Nigerian Army
Following is a chronological list of officers holding the position of General Officer Commanding (GOC) or Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
General Officer Commanding
Chief of Army Staff
See also
*
Nigerian Army Day
References
{{Chief of the army by country
Nigerian Army appointments
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...