The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuibu, says the Nigerian Army is being repositioned for more adaptive, intelligence-driven, and technologically enabled operations as the country’s security environment becomes increasingly complex.
Lieutenant General Shuibu stated this during the opening of the First Bi-Annual Chief of Army Staff Conference 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
He described the nation’s security challenges as volatile and dynamic, citing terrorism, insurgency, banditry, communal violence, crude oil theft, infrastructure sabotage and organised criminality across multiple regions.
“The contemporary security environment is volatile, dynamic and increasingly complex,” Lieutenant General Shuibu stated.
According to him, “the changing threat environment now requires greater operational flexibility, intelligence coordination and rapid-response capability.”
He stated that “the Nigerian Army is transitioning towards more mobile and technology-enabled operations capable of responding effectively to evolving security threats.”
He disclosed that Nigerian Army Aviation assets recently conducted successful troop insertion and extraction operations within the Timbuktu Triangle in the North East theatre for the first time.
“This is part of our transition towards more technologically enabled and highly mobile operations,” Lieutenant General Shuibu said.
The Army Chief also reiterated his soldier-first leadership philosophy, stressing that troops welfare, healthcare, accommodation and operational support remain central to combat effectiveness.
He disclosed that additional barracks projects, healthcare interventions and operational welfare packages had been approved to strengthen morale and institutional resilience.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Policy and Plans Army, Major General Bamidele Alabi, said the transition of the COAS conference structure into a biannual format was designed to create longer implementation periods for operational decisions and strategic directives.
“The restructuring is intended to provide sufficient implementation timelines for operational decisions and strategic directives,” Major General Alabi stated.
He explained that the conference would review operational challenges, assess lessons learned and develop realistic strategies for ongoing military operations across the country.
The conference also reviewed ongoing force expansion efforts, including implementation of the Nigerian Government’s directive for the recruitment of additional personnel and expansion of operational infrastructure nationwide.
In a solemn moment during the opening ceremony at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites, Lieutenant General Shuibu presented Nigerian Army Personnel Insurance cheques to families of fallen soldiers and personnel wounded in action.
The gesture reflected the Army’s commitment to supporting troops and honouring personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation.
The Army Chief stressed that public trust and national support remain vital to ongoing military operations.
“The trust, confidence and continued support of Nigerians remain critical to achieving lasting security and operational success across the country,” he stated.
