The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, says advanced training for senior officers will strengthen strategic leadership, improve institutional performance and enhance the Nigerian Army’s capacity to address complex national security challenges.
Shaibu stated this at the graduation ceremony of the Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course 8 of 2025, an 11-month executive programme organised by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in collaboration with the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Represented by the Deputy Chief of Special Services and Programmes, Army Headquarters, Major General Jeremiah Manjang, the COAS says the course was established to address a noticeable capacity gap within the top echelon of the Nigerian Army.
He explained that the programme is designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and competencies of senior officers and other security professionals in formulating, implementing and evaluating policies, while effectively managing human and material resources.
Shaibu noted that the programme is particularly important because modern organisations operate in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing environment where strategy, leadership, management and policy have become central to institutional performance.
He urged the graduates to apply the knowledge acquired during the programme alongside their accumulated field experience, stressing the need for senior leaders to continually adapt, refocus and acquire new skills to manage emerging organisational and national challenges effectively.
The Army Chief said the programme deliberately combined theoretical concepts with participants’ practical experiences, enabling them to interpret complex issues, conduct research, develop strategies and make informed decisions in pursuit of organisational objectives and the national interest.
The curriculum covered five thematic areas: policy, strategic management, entrepreneurship, psychology and research methodology. According to Shaibu, the combination promotes scientific and knowledge-driven approaches to organisational and resource management.
He also highlighted the collaboration with the Nigerian Defence Academy Postgraduate School, which enables successful participants to earn a Master’s degree in Strategic Management and Policy Studies, describing the partnership as a significant contribution to the Nigerian Army’s human-capacity development efforts and those of other participating services and agencies.
Shaibu also announced that the Strategic Management and Policy Studies programme will be suspended for the 2026–2027 session due to operational constraints, with the executive programme expected to resume in the 2027–2028 session.
He congratulated the graduates and urged them to deploy the knowledge acquired for the benefit of their organisations, the nation and humanity.
The Director General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, retired Major General James Myam, said the 11-month programme provides advanced professional and academic education for senior officers of the Armed Forces, other military and intelligence agencies, as well as senior personnel from Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
According to Myam, the programme equipped participants with the skills required to navigate contemporary security challenges and the complexities they are likely to encounter in their respective organisations.
He said the graduates have been prepared to become change agents capable of transferring the knowledge gained at the Centre to their various services, agencies and organisations.
Myam added that successful participants will receive a Master’s degree in Strategic Management and Policy Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy Postgraduate School, alongside a fellowship of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre.
From the Nigerian Defence Academy’s perspective, the Provost, Professor Bolanle Joel Ajibua, said the partnership with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre plays a vital role in developing senior officers through advanced strategic and policy education.
Ajibua noted that the programme also served as a preparatory platform for officers approaching retirement by equipping them with knowledge and skills that support self-reliance after military service.
He added that the Nigerian Defence Academy has continued to support the programme through its postgraduate structure, faculty and academic resources.
Speaking on the expected impact of the training, Shaibu said its benefits will be reflected in military operations because participants have received higher-level professional development that will remain relevant during and after their service careers.
He noted that many of the graduates already occupy senior positions and are well placed to apply the knowledge and experience gained from the programme, including through collaboration with officers from other services and agencies, in carrying out their responsibilities.
Myam described feedback from the programme as encouraging, expressing confidence that the graduates will return to their organisations and apply knowledge-driven skills in their daily responsibilities.
Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course 8 of 2025 comprises senior participants drawn from the military, intelligence and security agencies, as well as other strategic government institutions.
