By Sumaila Ogbaje
President Bola Tinubu has endorsed the management philosophy of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, describing it as the muse of a extra adaptable, skilled and combat-ready Nigerian Army.
Tinubu acknowledged this within the foreword to The Shaibu Doctrine: Mission Command and the Remaking of Nigeria’s Army at War, co-authored by Dr Muhammed Abubakar and Associate Prof. Sunday Adejoh of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
The president mentioned the doctrine mirrored the Armed Forces’ accountability to safe Nigeria and create an setting the place democracy and growth might thrive.
“As Commander-in-Chief, I have charged our Armed Forces with one mission: to secure Nigeria so that democracy and development can thrive,” he mentioned.
Tinubu mentioned the 4 pillars of professionalism, adaptability, fight readiness and resilience underpinned Shaibu’s command philosophy and guided the Army’s strategy to coaching, tools, operations and management.
He described the doctrine as a departure from navy conservatism, saying the Army was shifting from static defence in the direction of extra cell offensive operations.
The president mentioned the reforms additionally emphasised expertise adoption, indigenous navy tools manufacturing, personnel welfare and stronger adherence to navy ethics.
“These were not abstract reforms. They were choices made in the heat of battle, with lives on the line and the nation watching,” he mentioned.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on the motivation for the publication, Abubakar mentioned the ebook examines Shaibu’s management philosophy, significantly Mission Command, troop welfare and decentralised decision-making as devices for bettering operational effectiveness.
He mentioned his skilled interactions with Shaibu started when the latter served as Brigade Commander in Bama and continued throughout his tenure as Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai.
According to him, the experiences offered insights into Shaibu’s administration of personnel and navy sources, in addition to his efforts to maintain troop morale in demanding operational environments.
Abubakar mentioned he and Adejoh determined to doc the philosophy systematically following Shaibu’s appointment as COAS, believing it supplied classes for the Army’s evolving operational challenges.
He defined that the philosophy was constructed round 5 pillars captured by the acronym PROSE: Professional Excellence, Robust Administration, Operational Readiness, Strategic Cooperation and Exemplary Leadership.
At its centre, he mentioned, was a Soldier-First tradition that prioritised personnel welfare, morale, coaching, dignity and empowerment as foundations of fight effectiveness.
Abubakar described Mission Command as a management strategy primarily based on belief, initiative and empowering subordinate commanders to make choices inside their areas of accountability.
He mentioned senior commanders set operational targets, whereas subordinate commanders decided how finest to attain them primarily based on prevailing battlefield circumstances.
According to him, the strategy might scale back decision-making delays, strengthen accountability amongst junior commanders and enhance the tempo of clearing and holding operations.
“The core of Mission Command is trust,” Abubakar mentioned, stressing that commanders on the bottom wanted authority to reply promptly to threats with out ready for a number of layers of approval.
He, nonetheless, mentioned decentralised decision-making required sufficient tools, logistics, coaching and personnel welfare to maintain operational effectiveness.
Abubakar, nonetheless, recognized intelligence gaps, insufficient persistent air assist and the necessity for enhanced aerial surveillance as challenges requiring additional consideration in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency marketing campaign.
He advocated elevated funding in human intelligence and stronger collaboration with credible neighborhood actors and personal safety outfits with native data of conflict-prone areas.
He additionally referred to as for extra persistent air assist for floor troops and nearer coordination between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force.
The navy scholar mentioned strengthening Army Aviation and prioritising long-endurance drones might enhance battlefield surveillance, situational consciousness and commanders’ responses to rising threats.
He famous that Nigeria’s complicated safety setting, in depth borders and the uneven ways employed by armed teams required steady adaptation of navy methods and capabilities.
Drawing on his experiences within the North-East and North-West, Abubakar mentioned counter-insurgency couldn’t be gained by way of navy motion alone.
He referred to as for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society strategy involving safety businesses, authorities establishments and native communities in addressing insecurity.
Abubakar confused that the ebook was not a biography of Shaibu however an evaluation of a navy technique and the institutional modifications required to maintain operational effectiveness.
He mentioned the publication sought to stimulate dialogue on aligning management, organisational construction and navy tradition with the challenges of insurgency, terrorism and banditry.
He recognized navy enlargement, fiscal self-discipline, personnel welfare and institutional adaptation as necessary issues in strengthening the Army’s long-term capability.
Abubakar mentioned the ebook was supposed to supply sensible classes for policymakers, navy officers, cadets and Nigerians looking for to grasp the ideas guiding the Army’s management.
He mentioned its central message was that efficient management required commanders to belief subordinates, put money into personnel, align administration with operations, promote inter-agency cooperation and lead by instance.
The ebook is scheduled for presentation on Nov. 24, 2026, on the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja. (NAN)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
