Breaking barriers:  Salute to Anele, an amazon redefining Nigerian army narratives

To the girl child whose hopes and aspirations appear to be muscled in a male dominated world, the elevation of Lt. Col. Onyechi Appolonia Anele as the first female Nigerian Army Spokesperson is a great feat worthy of celebration.

It is also an inspiration to every young lady out there that with hard work and perseverance, she can rise to the pinnacle of her career.

Lt. Col. Anele navigated complex terrains, not only of battlefields, but of perception, politics, and public expectations. And through it all, she carried herself with a grace that made her not just a representative of the military, but a totem of national rebirth.

She is celebrated today not just because she is the first to occupy the position of Nigerian Army Spokesperson, but because she was faithful to her calling as a soldier and faithful to her country. Hers is an example of the endless possibilities when women are given space not only to serve, but to speak.

She is the answer to the recurrent question: can women lead in spaces built by and for men? Her ascent into the role of Army spokesperson, is a quick reminder that it is not about a personal promotion, but a cultural shift because for the first time, the Army’s official voice includes the cadence of a woman, intelligent, composed and unshaken. In her voice, the Army found not only a spokesperson—but a new story.

Destined for greater heights in career and life, Anele was born into the family of late Warrant Officer Cyraicus Anele and Mrs. Appolonia Anele (now deceased) and hails from Ehime-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. Through her father’s stories of service, sacrifice, and unyielding loyalty to the nation, young Anele absorbed the unspoken codes of the uniform: honor, duty, resilience, and respect.

Growing up as the daughter of a Warrant Officer meant she understood from an early age the meaning of discipline—not the harsh, rigid kind, but a purposeful one, driven by internal standards and a commitment to excellence. She saw first-hand the daily rigors of military life: the early morning drills,  the attention to detail, the culture of accountability. These lessons became the bedrock upon which her own career was built.

She had her primary school education at Army Children’s School, Rukuba Barracks and her secondary education at Command Day Secondary School, both in Jos, Plateau State. Appolonia attended the University of Jos where she obtained a Diploma and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication respectively. Upon her graduation, she attended the mandatory National Youth Service Corp and thereafter was commissioned Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army Directorate of Army Public Relations as a member of Direct Regular Course 15 on 8 December 2007.

She has attended several military and civil courses in the course of her impeccable military career. Some of the courses include the Young Officers Course (YOC), in 2010, the Media Operations Officers Course in 2013, the Advanced Public Relations Officers Course in 2016 and the Strategic Communications Course in 2025, all at the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI).

She also attended the Crisis Information Management Course, Conflict Prevention Course and Integrated Peace Support Operations Course all at the prestigious Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Accra, Ghana between 2011 and 2013.

She further attended the Joint Information Operations Course and the Gender in Peace Support Operations Course at the Royal Airforce Halton, United Kingdom in July 2015 and at the École de Maintien de la Paix, Bamako Mali in June 2015, respectively.

Over the years, Lt. Col. Anele pursued further education, complementing her military expertise with deep insights into Public Relations, strategic communications, and defense diplomacy. In 2017, she attended the Gender Training of Trainers Course at SwedInt, Sweden.

In her quest to acquire more knowledge, she obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Gender Peace and Security, from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana in 2013. She also holds a Master of Arts Degree in Leadership and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna in 2024.She has distinguished herself not only in physical prowess but in intellectual acumen—a double strength that have defined her career.

From her early days, it was clear she was not one to follow quietly behind others; she was determined to lead, to carve new paths where few had dared to tread. Her blend of tactical knowledge and masterful communication skills set her apart early on, leading to key appointments within the Army’s information and public affairs units. Yet, even as she ascended the ranks, she carried with her an uncommon humility, understanding that leadership was not about titles but about service.

She has held several command, staff and instructional appointments including Military Public Information Officer Nigerian Battalion (NIBATT) 5 at the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Sudan in 2008, Staff Officer Grade 3 Information/Publication at the Headquarters 2 Division Nigerian Army Ibadan from 2008 to 2012, Instructor/Administrative Officer and Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI), Lagos from 2013 to 2016 and the Gender Officer at the Department of Army Training and Operations, Army Headquarters Abuja between July 2016 and January 2018. She was also the Public Relations Officer to then Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army from January 2018 to May 2021, as well as the Public Relations Officer at the Defence Space Administration between May 2021 and January 2022. Additionally, she was the Acting Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at the Nigerian Army Welfare Holdings Limited by Guarantee (NAWHLG) from January 2023 to October 2023.

Until her recent appointment, she was the Staff Officer Grade One, Human Rights at the Defence Headquarters Department of Civil Military Cooperation. As a Thought Leader,  Lt. Col Anele is renowned to have delivered several lectures during seminars, conferences, and workshops. Some of these include: “Enhancing a Professionally Responsive Nigerian Army in the Discharge of its Constitutional Roles: The Gender Perspective” at the Nigerian Army Women Corps Convention Abuja in 2022; “Gender Mainstreaming in Peace Support Operations” to participants of Naval Warfare Course 7/23 at the Naval War College of Nigeria, Calabar in 2023; and “Gender Inclusion and Career Planning in the Nigerian Army: Female Officers in Perspective” during the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary Career Week for Officers in 2025, among others.

She is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and a holder of the Forces Service Star Award of the Nigerian Army.

Indeed, the Nigerian Army steeped in tradition and often viewed through a rigid, masculine lens, had long needed a new kind of voice—one that could articulate its evolving role in a complex national landscape. In Lt. Col. Anele, they found not just a spokesperson, but a bridge-builder.

Her appointment as the first female spokesperson of the Nigerian Army is a national milestone as it presents the Army not merely as a force of might, but as a body rooted in service, sacrifice, and national unity. Her success reminds us that the barriers before us are mere façade, all it takes is one bold voice to shatter them for generations to come.

Today, we rise to salute Lt. Col. Anele, a soldier, a spokesperson, an Amazon of our time. She has not only redefined how the Nigerian Army communicates with its people; she is redefining what leadership looks like for Nigeria’s future.

As her voice continues to carry the stories of honor, service, and sacrifice, she also carries the hopes of a nation eager to see more doors flung open, more glass ceilings shattered, and more heroines marching proudly beyond the ranks.

To Lt. Col. Anele, I offer not just a salute—but my deepest gratitude for daring to redefine the narratives.

Okoronkwo, a leadership and good governance advocate, writes from Lagos and be reached via [email protected]