Shettima, Obasanjo, Gowon, others celebrate Army Day

President Bola Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, were among dignitaries at the grand finale of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2026.

The week-long event, with the theme ‘Protecting the Nation and Serving the People: A Way Forward for the NA ‘, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, was climaxed with several activities.

Tinubu, who was the special guest of honour, was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, with the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as co-host.

Also in attendance was the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Olufemi Oluyede, among other senior military chiefs.

The event also attracted military chiefs and defence delegates from 16 African countries, former military leaders, senior government officials and security stakeholders.

At the Gala Night held on Sunday night, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, was present, alongside other service chiefs.

The grand finale was a spectacle, as the crowd was thrilled by several military drills, attracting applause.

However, there was a brief disruption as some of the para-shooters meant for display momentarily disappeared for about two hours before reappearing at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt, the venue of the grand finale.

Two of the para-shooters and the personnel operating the system landed outside the venue, causing slight apprehension. Some operatives attributed the incident to weather conditions.

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Some of the other military displays featured female commanders, including horse riding displays, demonstrations of military capabilities, and exhibitions of operational readiness.

Other drills included a helicopter rescue mission and a musical combat and training display led by the Director of Army Training.

There were also ground movement exercises showcasing agility and flexibility by both male and female soldiers.

Similarly, the Military Police Corps staged displays, particularly featuring military-trained working dogs, organised by the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police.

Other presentations included demonstrations of combat effectiveness by the Nigerian Army Infantry Amphibious Training School, as well as parade displays by the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers, Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps, and the Nigerian Army Corps of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

Also featured were displays by the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, Nigerian Army Education Corps, among others.

At the closing of the march-past, Vice President Kashim Shettima presented awards to serving military officers and civilians who distinguished themselves in various fields.

Our correspondent also reports that the military organisations utilised a wide range of drills and exercises to test readiness for scenarios ranging from small insurgent attacks to large-scale conventional warfare.