By Sumaila Ogbaje
President Bola Tinubu has endorsed the management philosophy of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, describing it as the inspiration of a extra adaptable, skilled and combat-ready Nigerian Army.
Tinubu said this within the foreword to The Shaibu Doctrine: Mission Command and the Remaking of Nigeria’s Army at War, co-authored by Dr Muhammed Abubakar and Associate Prof. Sunday Adejoh of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
The president stated the doctrine mirrored the Armed Forces’ duty to safe Nigeria and create an surroundings the place democracy and improvement might thrive.
“As Commander-in-Chief, I have charged our Armed Forces with one mission: to secure Nigeria so that democracy and development can thrive,” he stated.
Tinubu stated the 4 pillars of professionalism, adaptability, fight readiness and resilience underpinned Shaibu’s command philosophy and guided the Army’s method to coaching, tools, operations and management.
He described the doctrine as a departure from army conservatism, saying the Army was transferring from static defence in direction of extra cell offensive operations.
The president stated the reforms additionally emphasised expertise adoption, indigenous army tools manufacturing, personnel welfare and stronger adherence to army ethics.
“These were not abstract reforms. They were choices made in the heat of battle, with lives on the line and the nation watching,” he stated.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on the motivation for the publication, Abubakar stated the guide examines Shaibu’s management philosophy, significantly Mission Command, troop welfare and decentralised decision-making as devices for bettering operational effectiveness.
He stated his skilled interactions with Shaibu started when the latter served as Brigade Commander in Bama and continued throughout his tenure as Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai.
According to him, the experiences offered insights into Shaibu’s administration of personnel and army assets, in addition to his efforts to maintain troop morale in demanding operational environments.
Abubakar stated he and Adejoh determined to doc the philosophy systematically following Shaibu’s appointment as COAS, believing it provided classes for the Army’s evolving operational challenges.
He defined that the philosophy was constructed round 5 pillars captured by the acronym PROSE: Professional Excellence, Robust Administration, Operational Readiness, Strategic Cooperation and Exemplary Leadership.
At its centre, he stated, was a Soldier-First tradition that prioritised personnel welfare, morale, coaching, dignity and empowerment as foundations of fight effectiveness.
Abubakar described Mission Command as a management method primarily based on belief, initiative and empowering subordinate commanders to make choices inside their areas of duty.
He stated senior commanders set operational goals, whereas subordinate commanders decided how finest to attain them primarily based on prevailing battlefield circumstances.
According to him, the method might cut back decision-making delays, strengthen accountability amongst junior commanders and enhance the tempo of clearing and holding operations.
“The core of Mission Command is trust,” Abubakar stated, stressing that commanders on the bottom wanted authority to reply promptly to threats with out ready for a number of layers of approval.
He, nevertheless, stated decentralised decision-making required ample tools, logistics, coaching and personnel welfare to maintain operational effectiveness.
Abubakar, nonetheless, recognized intelligence gaps, insufficient persistent air assist and the necessity for enhanced aerial surveillance as challenges requiring additional consideration in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency marketing campaign.
He advocated elevated funding in human intelligence and stronger collaboration with credible group actors and personal safety outfits with native data of conflict-prone areas.
He additionally known as for extra persistent air assist for floor troops and nearer coordination between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force.
The army scholar stated strengthening Army Aviation and prioritising long-endurance drones might enhance battlefield surveillance, situational consciousness and commanders’ responses to rising threats.
He famous that Nigeria’s complicated safety surroundings, intensive borders and the uneven ways employed by armed teams required steady adaptation of army methods and capabilities.
Drawing on his experiences within the North-East and North-West, Abubakar stated counter-insurgency couldn’t be gained by way of army motion alone.
He known as for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society method involving safety businesses, authorities establishments and native communities in addressing insecurity.
Abubakar harassed that the guide was not a biography of Shaibu however an evaluation of a army technique and the institutional adjustments required to maintain operational effectiveness.
He stated the publication sought to stimulate dialogue on aligning management, organisational construction and army tradition with the challenges of insurgency, terrorism and banditry.
He recognized army growth, fiscal self-discipline, personnel welfare and institutional adaptation as essential issues in strengthening the Army’s long-term capability.
Abubakar stated the guide was meant to offer sensible classes for policymakers, army officers, cadets and Nigerians searching for to grasp the rules guiding the Army’s management.
He stated its central message was that efficient management required commanders to belief subordinates, put money into personnel, align administration with operations, promote inter-agency cooperation and lead by instance.
The guide is scheduled for presentation on Nov. 24, 2026, on the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja. (NAN)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
