The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening strategic leadership capacity in response to evolving national and global security challenges.
He stressed the importance of adaptive thinking, analytical depth, and institutional resilience in addressing the complexities of a changing geopolitical environment.
The Chief of Training Army, Major General Valentine Okoro, who represented the Army Chief, stated this at the graduation ceremony of the Executive Strategic Leadership Programme held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja.
The programme was organised in collaboration with the King’s College London African Leadership Centre.
Major General Okoro explained that “the programme is designed to equip senior military leaders with the capacity to interpret complex security dynamics, anticipate emerging threats and respond effectively within a joint and multi agency operational environment.”
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He noted that contemporary security realities require more than tactical competence, stressing the importance of strategic clarity, critical thinking and adaptive leadership in managing insurgency, terrorism and other asymmetric threats.
Major General Okoro further stated that “the initiative forms part of the Nigerian Army’s broader transformation drive aimed at building a professional, combat ready and resilient force capable of discharging its constitutional responsibilities in an increasingly volatile global order.”
In his remarks, Professor Randolph Kent Team Lead, African Leadership Centre, King’s College London, highlighted Nigeria’s growing relevance in global security dynamics.
Professor Kent noted that “the country occupies a strategic position in shaping regional stability and influencing broader international outcomes.”
He observed that rising global instability is increasingly driven by underlying vulnerabilities such as fear, deprivation and systemic imbalance, stressing that effective leadership requires a deeper understanding of these factors to enable proactive conflict prevention and sustainable peacebuilding.
Also speaking, the Director General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, retired Major General James Myam stated that “the programme is part of sustained efforts to expose senior officers and key stakeholders to contemporary geostrategic realities and strengthen policy formulation, planning and execution processes.”
He expressed confidence that participants have acquired the requisite knowledge and leadership skills to navigate complex operational environments and contribute meaningfully to national security objectives.
The graduation of the programme underscores the Nigerian Army’s continued investment in capacity building, institutional development and strategic partnerships aimed at enhancing operational effectiveness and aligning leadership approaches with global best practices.
