Nigerian Army appoints Lt. Col. Anele Onyinyechi as first female spokesperson

The Nigerian Army has made history with the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Anele Onyinyechi Appolonia as the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, the first woman ever to hold the position.

Lt. Col. Anele, a member of Direct Regular Course 15 and a certified public relations professional with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), is set to officially assume her new role on April 22, 2025. She succeeds Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, who has been redeployed to the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre.

Prior to her appointment, Lt. Col. Anele served as the Public Relations Officer in the Office of the Chief of Army Staff. She was later posted to the Department of Civil-Military Relations after completing a six-month strategic course at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, further strengthening her expertise in civil-military communications.

Her elevation has been widely hailed as a landmark step for gender inclusion in the Nigerian military, inspiring women across the country and underscoring the Army’s commitment to diversity in leadership roles.