The Nigerian Army has graduated 384 female soldiers of the 90 Regular Recruit Intake (90 RRI) following the successful conclusion of Exercise SHINING STAR 2026 in Giri, Abuja.
The passing-out ceremony which took place yesterday, Wednesday, 28 October 2026 at the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI), Giri, had the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General W. Shaibu NAM, represented by Major General Umar Gital Yusuf.
In his address, the Special Guest of Honour, lauded the female personnel for their effort, resilience, discipline and commitment all through the training exercise, The PUNCH reports.
He said the successful completion of the exercise was a significant milestone in their military careers and re-affirmed the resolve of the Nigerian Army to building a professional, disciplined and combat-ready force.
He charged the newly trained soldiers to inculcate the virtues of teamwork, courage, loyalty and professionalism, while applying the knowledge and abilities learnt during the exercise to their military tasks.
The COAS’s envoy further stressed the need of continual training, physical fitness and operational preparedness in dealing with current security issues before declaring the exercise closed.
The ceremony was earlier received by the Acting Commander of the Nigerian Army Women Command (NAWC), Colonel S. M. Ahmed, who was the special guest and other dignitaries.
Exercise SHINING STAR 2026 is important in improving the physical condition, military competence, discipline and operational preparedness of female personnel, Ahmed said.
He further commended the authorities, instructors and other individuals who worked to ensure the exercise was successfully executed.
The celebration featured obstacle-course demonstrations and weapons-handling drills in which the female troops displayed their abilities to strip and reassemble AK-47s while blindfolded.
The demonstrations displayed the personnel’s physical stamina, confidence, weapon handling skills and mastery of basic military tasks.
“A total of 384 female personnel of the 90 RRI participated in the exercise, along with 14 male personnel from the Headquarters, Directorate of Army Physical Training (HQ DAPT), and 70 male personnel from the 167 Special Forces Battalion,” added Ahmed.
The ceremony was attended by senior military leaders of various units and formations, representatives of paramilitary agencies and other invited visitors.
Awards were handed by the Acting Commander NAWC to eight male and female servicemen who distinguished themselves during the exercise.
The gathering also witnessed a vote of appreciation by one of the beneficiaries, presentation of souvenirs and a group portrait to mark the successful completion of the exercise.
The exercise is part of the Nigerian Army’s attempts to promote personnel development, upgrade military skills and boost operational preparedness in response to the country’s increasing security issues.
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