By Nkechi Eze
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged graduates of the Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) Course 10/2026 to apply innovative thinking, strategic knowledge and leadership skills in developing practical solutions to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
Shaibu gave the charge on Monday, October 12, 2026, during the graduation lecture of Course 10/2026 at the Army War College Nigeria in Abuja, where he emphasised the need for military commanders to adopt innovative approaches to warfare and strengthen collaboration among security agencies.
According to an official statement signed by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Army Chief said the increasingly complex nature of contemporary security threats required coordinated military capabilities, intelligence sharing and effective integration of technology across operational domains.
He urged the participants to translate the strategic knowledge and leadership competencies acquired during their training into practical measures that would enhance operational effectiveness, improve inter-agency cooperation and support the ongoing transformation of the Nigerian Army.
The COAS also highlighted the ongoing expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, describing it as a strategic repositioning aimed at strengthening territorial coverage, improving operational responsiveness and addressing emerging security threats across the country.
He, however, stressed that the expansion must go beyond increasing formations and personnel, noting that its success would depend on the effective integration of trained manpower, modern technology, actionable intelligence, robust logistics and efficient command and control systems.
Shaibu further charged military commanders to integrate intelligence, technology, information operations and combat capabilities across multiple domains, while upholding professionalism, discipline and respect for the rule of law.
Delivering the graduation lecture titled “Winning in Complex Security Environments: Reimagining the Nigerian Army Force Structure for Multi-Domain Operations,” former National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), called for a fundamental reassessment of military structures, doctrines and operational concepts to address emerging threats.
Monguno identified the integration of land, air, cyber and information capabilities as increasingly critical to modern warfare, noting that emerging technologies, including unmanned aerial systems, artificial intelligence and digital communication platforms, were transforming military operations.
He advocated sustained investment in technological innovation, intelligence integration, institutional reforms and continuous professional military education to prepare commanders for increasingly complex and contested security environments.
Earlier, the Commandant of Army War College Nigeria, Major General Umar Alkali, commended the COAS for his continued support towards strengthening the institution’s capacity to develop operational-level commanders and strategic leaders.
Alkali said participants of Course 10/2026 had undergone rigorous professional training designed to sharpen their critical thinking, operational planning and leadership capabilities for contemporary military operations.
The graduation lecture formed part of activities marking the graduation of Course 10/2026 participants and underscored the Nigerian Army’s commitment to developing professionally competent, technologically adaptable and operationally proficient commanders capable of responding effectively to the country’s security challenges.
