The Acting Director Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele has assumed duty, becoming the first female to hold this strategic position in the history of the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
During her inauguration at Army Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Lieutenant Colonel Anele expressed her deep sense of honour and gratitude to God Almighty, acknowledging the enormous responsibilities and expectations that come with the office.
She thanked the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Olumide Oluyede, for entrusting her with the role and assured him of her loyalty, commitment, and dedication to duty.
The Acting Director further paid tribute to her predecessor, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, whose passion and professionalism have transformed the Directorate of Army Public Relations into a formidable force.
She acknowledged his remarkable contributions to enhancing the image and stature of the Nigerian Army and pledged to build on the foundation laid.
The new Acting Director emphasised the importance of partnerships and collaboration, particularly with the media, in promoting the Nigerian Army’s image and activities.
She commended the professionalism of defense correspondents and encouraged them to uphold truth, fairness, and responsibility in their reporting.
Lieutenant Colonel Anele pledged to lead the Directorate with transparency, professionalism, respect, and proactiveness, focusing on telling the Nigerian Army’s story through words and actions that reflect honour, sacrifice, responsibility, and service to the nation.
She urged officers, soldiers, and civilian staff to remain loyal, hardworking, focused, and united in their efforts to take the Nigerian Army public relations to greater heights.
Earlier in his remarks, the outgoing Director Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, expressed profound gratitude to God Almighty and appreciation to various stakeholders who supported him during his almost four-year tenure.
The outgoing Director highlighted significant key achievements during his tenure , including modernising the Directorate and establishing the state-of-the-art online Nigerian ArmyInfo Television and Strategic Communication Centre.
He also underscored the importance of human capital development through specialised training for officers and soldiers in strategic communication, crisis messaging, digital warfare, and media analytics.
The new Acting Director who is a member of Direct Regular Course 15, joined the Nigerian Army in 2007 after her NYSC service.
She holds two Master’s Degrees in Gender , Peace and Security , as well as Leadership and Strategic Studies.
Until her new appointment, she served as the Public Relations Officer to the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai from 2018 to 2021.
She also served with the UN in Darfur, Sudan in 2008 as well as worked at the Defence Space Administration.
