The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to enhance the welfare of personnel and boost the infrastructure in army barracks, units and formations.

Lagbaja made the commitment on Thursday in Abuja at the Annual Command Guest Houses Stakeholders Conference.

Represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Ibrahim, the COAS said the construction of guest houses was part of efforts to provide secure, affordable and reliable accommodation for officers and soldiers, as well the general public.

Lagbaja said the Army currently has guest houses in Lagos, Abuja, Yola, Maiduguri, Kaduna and Sokoto states, adding that more would be provided in major cities in all the geo political zones of the country.

“Meanwhile, since my assumption of command, efforts have been focused on improving infrastructure facilities in various barracks, offices and institutions.

“To this effect, I have charged the Chief of Special Services and Programmes to assess the state of facilities of all the command guest houses and ensure that key areas of concern are addressed to enhance their functionality and efficiency.

“Recently about 40 officers were sent on internship programmes in some selected reputable hotels in Abuja and Lagos to enhance their managerial skills in the hospitality business.

The COAS said he would ensure that the facilities were efficiently and profitably managed, in order to continue providing acceptable premium services.

Lagbaja said that the army and other services remained firmly focused on its constitutional role of defending the territorial integrity of the nation.

“As you all continue to provide resources and an enabling environment for efficient administration and effective operations, our personnel must reciprocate their total commitment to duty and absolute loyalty to constituted authority.

“I again charged the department to continue to improve on its current accomplishments while exploring other opportunities in the industry,” he added.

The Chief of Special Services and Programmes, Maj.-Gen. Henry Wesley, said that the investment in guest houses was to provide military personnel with secure and affordable accommodation.

Wesley pledged to consolidate on the services being provided, so as to attract more customers to the facilities.

According to him, the theme of the conference is meant to agree on ways to make command guest houses, a notable national brand in the hospitality industry.