The Nigerian Army has presented 31,000 notebooks and 19,000 writing materials made up of biros, pencils, rulers, and erasers to pupils and students in the schools in Minna Military Cantonment for the 2024/2025 Academic Session.
The Commander, Training and Doctrine Command of the Nigerian Army (TRADOC NA), Major General Kevin Aligbe, said that the donation was part of the second series of the TRADOC Educational Support Programme.
Making the presentation at the closing ceremony of the TRADOC Library Study Day Period 2024 organised by the Directorate of Army Training Support Centre (ATSC) in TRADOC NA, the TRADOC Commander stated that the gesture was introduced to subsidise the educational expenses of personnel in the Minna Military Cantonment and its neighbouring communities who have children in the schools.
Aligbe said that over 80 percent of the 7,200 beneficiaries were students and pupils who are children of civilians from outside the cantonment, adding that the initiative was also one of the Civil-Military Cooperation efforts of his command in support of the overall Nigeria Army’s effort towards shaping and winning the hearts and minds of communities where the army operates.
Speaking on the Library study day period, the Commander urged the participants to use the library facilities provided by the Nigerian Army to boost their intellectual and research potentials and use it as a platform for engaging with contemporary issues related to library resources.
Aligbe said that the forum came at a time when all efforts were geared towards training, research, and innovation while leveraging modern technology.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of the Army Training Support Centre (ATSC), Brigadier General Victor Ita noted that despite the essential functions of libraries, they face challenges such as low patronage and a lack of modern reading materials.
He urged participants to engage openly during the discussions, aiming to develop strategies that would enhance the library’s effectiveness and accessibility.