The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu has announced sweeping reforms across the Nigerian Army’s training, intelligence and welfare structures.
The reforms, according to the Army Chief, are aimed at repositioning the Nigerian Army as a more professional, adaptable, combat-ready and resilient force capable of responding effectively to Nigeria’s evolving security environment.
Lieutenant General Shaibu disclosed this on Thursday while delivering his closing remarks at the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference 2025 in Lagos.
He noted that the annual gathering provided a critical platform for a comprehensive assessment of the Army’s operational and administrative performance in 2025.
According to him, outcomes of the conference will directly shape policies, priorities and actions for the coming year, with immediate steps to realign training, operations, logistics and administrative processes in line with his Command Philosophy.
“The Nigerian Army will make informed but bold changes to its training and operational activities in the coming year, including deliberate interventions to enhance the capacity of the Special Forces Institutions,” the Army Chief said.
Lieutenant General Shaibu explained that the Army would commence a total overhaul of training curricula across all Nigerian Army training institutions, stressing that realistic, mission-oriented training remains central to operational success.
He said Army Headquarters, through the Department of Training, will drive mission-specific programmes with increased emphasis on Special Forces and Army Aviation capabilities. 
He further revealed that intelligence briefings and operational updates presented at the conference highlighted the growing complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges, underscoring the need to strengthen intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, cyber operations and technological innovation.
The COAS added that the Nigerian Army will continue to adapt and innovate, while leveraging support from the nation’s political leadership for the procurement of critical military hardware and software, alongside fostering a culture of innovation at all levels of command.
Troops Welfare
On troops’ welfare, Lieutenant General Shaibu reaffirmed his commitment to addressing accommodation deficits across Nigerian Army barracks nationwide.
He disclosed that all ongoing residential accommodation projects have been directed to be completed and allocated without delay, while new housing projects will be initiated across formations.
Extensive renovation works, he said, will also be undertaken as interim measures.
The Army Chief further assured officers that post-service housing for soldiers remains a top priority, announcing the commissioning of the Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) Akobo Project and the Post-Service Housing Development Limited Shopping Complex in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He commended the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army) and the conference planning committee for the successful organisation of the event, as well as the participants for their robust contributions, which he said would significantly enrich future strategies and policy formulation.
He expressed the Nigerian Army’s appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the sustained support, reaffirming the Army’s unwavering loyalty to the President and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference 2025, which was declared open on Monday, 14 December 2025 by the President, brought together senior commanders from Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army formations and units across the country.