In a groundbreaking development, the Nigerian Army has appointed Lieutenant Colonel (Mrs) Onyechi Appolonia Anele, FSS anipr, as the Acting Director of Army Public Relations (Ag DAPR).
This historic appointment makes her the first woman to assume this high-ranking role.
Lt Col Anele is a distinguished professional in public relations and strategic communication, bringing decades of dedicated military service and leadership to the position.
She hails from Ehime-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State and comes from a disciplined military background, being the daughter of the late Warrant Officer Cyraicus Anele and the late Mrs Appolonia Anele.
Her educational journey began at Army Children’s School and Command Day Secondary School in Jos, Plateau State. She later earned both a Diploma and a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Jos, driven by a strong interest in public engagement and communication.
After completing the National Youth Service Corps program, she was commissioned as a Lieutenant into the Directorate of Army Public Relations on December 8, 2007, as part of Direct Regular Course 15.
Committed to continuous professional development, Lt Col Anele has participated in several military and civilian training programs.
These include the Young Officers Course (2010), Media Operations Officers Course (2013), Advanced Public Relations Officers Course (2016), and Strategic Communications Course (2025) at the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI).
Her international training experience is extensive. Between 2011 and 2013, she attended multiple programs at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana, covering crisis information management, conflict prevention, and peace support operations.
She further enhanced her skills at the Royal Air Force Halton in the UK, École de Maintien de la Paix in Mali, and SwedInt in Sweden, where she took a Gender Training of Trainers course in 2017.
Lt Col Anele holds two Master’s degrees — one in Gender, Peace, and Security from the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Centre (2013) and another in Leadership and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna (2024).
Her career spans various key roles in command, instruction, and staff positions. Highlights include serving as the Military Public Information Officer for NIBATT 5 under the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in 2008, as well as positions at 2 Division Headquarters, NASPRI, and the Army Headquarters.
From January 2018 to May 2021, she was the Public Relations Officer to the then Chief of Army Staff.
She has also held roles at the Defence Space Administration, served as Acting Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at the Nigerian Army Welfare Holdings Limited by Guarantee (NAWHLG), and was most recently the Staff Officer Grade One, Human Rights, at the Defence Headquarters’ Department of Civil Military Cooperation.
Lt Col Anele’s appointment marks a progressive shift in the Nigerian Army’s approach to public relations, highlighting its dedication to gender inclusivity, strategic communication, and professionalism.
With her vast experience and strong leadership, she is set to lead the Directorate of Army Public Relations into a new era of effective engagement and transparency.
