Major General Taoheed Abiodun Lagbaja was born in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, Osun State, on the 28th day of February in the year 1968. He attended L. A. Teachers’ College Demonstration School, Osogbo between 1973 – 1979 from where he proceeded to St Charles Grammar School, Osogbo and completed his secondary education in 1984. Between 1984 and 1986, he was at the famous Polytechnic of Ibadan for his Advance Level (WAEC).
The New Chief of Army Staff was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy on the 12th of September in 1987 as a member of 39th Regular Course and was commissioned as a 2nd Leutenant on the 19th of September 1992.
As a well trained officer of the Nigerian Army, he as attended several courses within and outside the country, namely:
a. Company Amphibious Operations Course – May to June, 1993.
b. Young Officers’ Course (Infantry) – Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji – September to December 1993.
c. Basic Airborne Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji – March to April 1995.
d. Advanced Airborne Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji – November to December 1995.
e. Amphibious Staff Operations Course – Amphibious Training School – September to December 1997.
f. Company Commanders’ Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji – February to May 2003.
g. Battalion Commanders’ Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji – September to December 2009.
h. Junior Staff Course – Armed Forces Command and Staff – May to December 2000.
i. Senior Staff Course – Armed Forces Command and Staff – August 2005 to July 2006.
j. Military Observers Course – Peacekeeping Wing Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji – February to May 2008.
k. ECOWAS Standby Force Battalion Command Post Course – Peacekeeping Centre, Bamako, Mali – June to August 2010.
l. Strategy and Leadership Course – US Army War College – April 2003 – June 2014.
Also as a Senior Army Officer, before this appointment, he has been trusted with very many responsibilities via Command/Staff/Instructional Appointments:
i. 93 Battalion, 1992 to 1995 as a Platoon commander.
ii. 72 Special Forces Battalion; 1995 to 2001 as a Platoon commander.
iii. Nigerian Defence Academy – 2001 to 2004 as an Instructor.
iv. Army Headquarters, Department of Army Training and Operations – 2004, Grade 2 Staff Officer in charge of peacekeeping.
v. Armed Forces Command and Staff College – July 2005 – February 2006 – Grade 2 Staff Officer in charge of training.
vi. Armed Forces Command and Staff College, 2006 to 2009 – Directing Staff.
vii. Headquarters 81 Division, 2009 to 2012 – Deputy Chief of Staff G1 (Administration).
viii. 72 Special Forces Battalion Makurdi, 2012 to 2015 – Commanding Officer.
ix. Headquarters 8, Task Force Division Monguno, 2016 to 2017 – Chief of Staff.
x. Army Headquarters, Department of Army Training and Operations, January to December 2018 – Acting Director of Operations.
xi. Headquarters 9 Brigade, Ikeja, Lagos State, December 2018 to April 2019 – Commander.
xii. Headquarters 2 Brigade, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State – April 2019 to January 2020 – Commander.
xiii. Army Headquarters, Department of Army Training and Operations – January 2020 to March 2021 – Director, Force Generation.
xiv. Headquarters 82 Division, March 2021 to August 2022 – General Officer Commanding.
xv. Headquarters 1 Division, August 2022 – June 2023 – General Officer Commanding.
Major General Taoheed Abiodun Lagbaja is happily married to Mrs Mariya Abiodun-Lagbaja and the marriage is blessed with two lovely and promising children.
He loves watching documentary and reading biographies.