The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, has said the Nigerian Army will continue to review its doctrine and leadership training to respond effectively to the changing nature of warfare and emerging security challenges in Nigeria.
Shaibu stated this at the opening of the 2026 Doctrine and Combat Development Leadership Seminar organised by the Training and Doctrine Command of the Nigerian Army (TRADOC NA) in Minna, Niger State.
The Chief of Army Staff said military doctrine must remain dynamic and responsive to lessons learned from contemporary operations.
He said lessons from operational engagements should be translated into improved training, leadership practices and combat development to ensure that the Army remained prepared to confront emerging threats.
The seminar, themed, “Enhancing Doctrinal Development in the Nigerian Army for Effective Leadership Training and Operations in a Joint Environment”, is aimed at strengthening leadership development and preparing personnel for modern military operations.
Shaibu urged participants to continuously examine the Army’s operational experiences, identify lessons and incorporate relevant innovations into its doctrine and training systems.
He said commanders must be capable of building effective relationships across organisational boundaries, whether operating in conventional warfare, asymmetric operations, counter-terrorism, peace-support missions or other complex environments.
The Chief of Army Staff charged participants to ensure that the knowledge and recommendations generated at the seminar translated into practical improvements across their formations and units.
As part of the event, Shaibu commissioned housing and water projects executed under the 2026 Chief of Army Staff Intervention Projects, in line with his “Soldier First” concept.
The projects at Minna Army Barracks include six renovated units of Single Officers’ Quarters, 84 family quarters for Corporals and below, and 11 boreholes fitted with 20,000-litre overhead water tanks.
Eight additional units of Single Officers’ Quarters are undergoing renovation, while construction is ongoing on 36 family quarters for Corporals and below.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, was represented by the Director General of the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Abuja, Maj Gen Tariweriye Gagariga.
Earlier, the Commander, TRADOC NA, Maj. Gen. Peter Malla, said continuous improvement in military doctrine and leadership training was necessary to enhance the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army.
Malla said the seminar was timely, considering the Army’s ongoing transformation into a more professional, adaptable, combat-ready and resilient force capable of discharging its constitutional responsibilities in a joint and multi-agency environment.
He said the evolving nature of warfare, driven by unmanned systems, emerging technologies, information operations, cyber capabilities and asymmetric methods, required competent and adaptable leaders guided by relevant military doctrine.
The TRADOC commander also noted that the recent expansion of the Nigerian Army, including the establishment of four additional divisions, had increased the need for effective command and control, standardisation, interoperability and doctrinal coherence across formations.
He said the seminar would provide participants with an opportunity to identify doctrinal gaps, examine lessons from contemporary operations and strengthen leadership development and interoperability within the Nigerian Army.
