President Bola Tinubu has appointed new service chiefs, sparking a wave of retirements among senior military officers.
The changes include General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General W. Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.
This move is driven by military hierarchy, with officers senior to the new appointees required to retire.
Around 160 senior officers are expected to leave, including 120 from the Army and 40 from the Navy and Air Force.
This is not unprecedented. When the late Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru of 35 Regular Course died, he was succeeded by Gen Faruk Yahaya of 37 RC. At the time, the service chiefs were from 35 RC, so officers of 35 and 36 RC were all retired.
The same rhythm continues today a generational reset that clears the old guard to make way for the next.
The new appointments have therefore brought both relief and resentment. For the younger officers, it opens long-blocked promotion lines, while for those on their way out, it is an abrupt end to a long career after three decades in uniform.
With this change, the 41 Regular Course will now dominate the Army’s leadership, marking a generational shift from officers trained in the late 1980s and early 1990s to those commissioned in the mid-1990s.
