In a decisive move to confront evolving security threats, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has announced a comprehensive transformation agenda for the Nigerian Army. The far-reaching reforms, targeting training, intelligence, and troops’ welfare, were unveiled at the closing of the pivotal COAS Annual Conference 2025 in Abuja.
The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, confirmed in a statement that the conference served as a strategic stock-taking forum. Deliberations provided a critical appraisal of the Army’s operational and administrative performance in 2025, forming the bedrock for the new policy directives aimed at repositioning the force as a more professional, adaptable, and combat-ready entity.
A New Command Philosophy: Integration and Jointness
Central to the reforms is the realignment of all Army processes—training, operations, logistics, and administration—with the COAS’s newly articulated Command Philosophy. This philosophy explicitly aims to strengthen the force’s capacity to discharge its constitutional duties within a joint and multi-agency environment. This is a crucial shift, acknowledging that modern security challenges, from insurgencies to complex criminal networks, require seamless collaboration with the Navy, Air Force, police, and intelligence agencies. The reform signals a move away from potentially siloed operations toward integrated, unified action.
Training Revolution: From Theory to Real-World Missions
Arguably the most significant directive is the order for a total overhaul of training curricula across all Army institutions. Gen. Shaibu mandated a shift toward realistic, mission-oriented, and mission-specific training. This means moving beyond generic exercises to drills that mirror the exact conditions troops face in theatres like the North-East, the Niger Delta, or the North-Central. For instance, training will likely intensify in urban combat, counter-improvised explosive device (IED) tactics, and asymmetric warfare.
The Army Headquarters, through the Department of Training, will prioritize building capacity in two high-leverage areas: Special Forces and Army Aviation. Special Forces are the spearhead for precision strikes and complex operations, while a robust Army Aviation wing (helicopters and drones) provides unmatched mobility, fire support, and surveillance. “The Nigerian Army will make informed but bold changes… including deliberate interventions to strengthen Special Forces institutions,” the COAS stated. This dual focus aims to create a more agile and responsive force capable of rapid deployment and decisive action.
Intelligence and Technological Edge: Winning in the Digital Age
The conference’s intelligence briefings underscored the increasing complexity of Nigeria’s security environment, where threats are hybrid, fluid, and often digitally enabled. In response, the COAS stressed an urgent need to boost Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities, alongside cyber operations and technological innovation.
ISTAR represents the “find and fix” cycle of modern warfare. Enhancing it involves not just more hardware but integrating data from drones, satellites, ground sensors, and human networks to build a comprehensive, real-time battlefield picture. The commitment to leveraging political support for critical hardware and software procurement is vital, but equally important is fostering a bottom-up culture of innovation where soldiers at all levels are empowered to develop tactical solutions to the problems they encounter daily.
Welfare as a Combat Multiplier: Housing and Beyond
Recognizing that a motivated soldier is an effective soldier, Gen. Shaibu reaffirmed a core commitment to troops’ welfare, with a sharp focus on the chronic accommodation deficits in barracks nationwide. His directives are two-pronged: immediate relief and long-term security.
He ordered the completion and immediate allocation of all ongoing residential projects and announced new housing projects alongside extensive renovations as interim measures. Beyond active service, he addressed the profound anxiety of post-service life by prioritizing post-service housing schemes. The commissioning of the Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) Akobo Project and a related shopping complex in Ibadan are tangible steps toward providing long-term stability for personnel and their families, thereby boosting morale and retention.
The COAS commended the conference organizers and participants for their robust contributions. He also expressed the Army’s gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for sustained support, reaffirming the institution’s loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief and the Constitution.
The COAS Annual Conference 2025, which was declared open by the President on Dec. 14, drew participants from across the Defence Headquarters and all Nigerian Army formations, ensuring the reform agenda was shaped by frontline insights and has top-down buy-in for implementation.
