Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya Rtd, has described military history as a strategic instrument for defeating terrorism and other emerging security threats.
General Yahaya stated this on Tuesday while delivering the keynote address as Special Guest of Honour at the Nigerian Army Military History Institute Seminar 2026, at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja, under the theme, “Military History and Its Relevance to Counter-Terrorism Operation in Nigeria.”
Leadership Development
While addressing the theme, the former COAS urged the Armed Forces and policymakers to transform lessons from past operations into practical doctrine, leadership development and national security policy.
He said military history provides commanders with strategic and tactical insights, exposes the causes of operational successes and failures, sharpens leadership under pressure and helps security institutions adapt to evolving threats.
According to him, the study of military history also equips political leaders, policymakers, academics, defence analysts and technologists with the knowledge required to make informed national security decisions.
The former Army Chief further urged the Nigerian Army Resource Centre to ensure that lessons, findings and recommendations from the seminar are translated into military doctrine, professional education, policy papers, journals and other practical platforms capable of strengthening security institutions and supporting national decision-making.
Contemporary Defence
The Director General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, retired Major General James Myam, described the seminar as part of the Centre’s mandate to preserve the institutional history of the Nigerian Army while generating research-based solutions to contemporary defence and security challenges.
He said the forum provides a platform for military professionals, scholars, historians and other stakeholders to exchange ideas, strengthen professional collaboration and develop practical strategies for enhancing counterterrorism operations, interagency cooperation and national security management.
The seminar attracted senior military officers, members of academia, defence experts, historians, researchers and participants from strategic institutions across the country.
