President Bola Tinubu has endorsed the leadership philosophy of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu describing it as the foundation of a new Nigerian Army built on professionalism adaptability combat readiness and resilience.
The President made the remarks in the foreword to ‘The Shaibu Doctrine: Mission Command and the Remaking of Nigeria’s Army at War’ co-authored by Dr Muhammed Sani Abubakar and Associate Professor Sunday Adejoh of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
Tinubu said the doctrine reflected the Armed Forces’ responsibility to secure Nigeria and create an environment in which democracy and development could 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 said.
He said the four pillars of professionalism adaptability combat readiness and resilience guided the Army’s approach to training equipment operations and leadership.
According to him the reforms marked a shift from static defence to more mobile offensive operations alongside technology adoption indigenisation of military tools improved welfare and renewed emphasis on ethics.
‘These were not abstract reforms. They were choices made in the heat of battle with lives on the line and the nation watching’ Tinubu said.
The endorsement came as the Defence Ministry and the Nigerian Navy also outlined measures to strengthen national security through economic protection financial discipline and indigenous technology.
Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.) said intensified military operations were gradually restoring stability in Nigeria’s economic corridors agricultural belts and industrial zones.
He told the 56th Annual Accountants’ Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in Abuja that security was indispensable to the country’s ambition of building a trillion-dollar economy.
‘No investor commits capital where lives and assets are not safe and no economy grows beyond the reach of its security’ Musa said.
He identified five priorities: protection of strategic economic assets good governance and human capital defence financial discipline cybersecurity and financial intelligence and domestic defence industrial capacity.
Musa also announced a joint Ministry of Defence-ICAN Implementation Committee to drive training in public financial management forensic accounting financial intelligence and veterans’ welfare.
The Navy meanwhile plans to establish a research institute and research and development cells across its commands to develop indigenous technologies reduce costs and improve combat capability.
Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas stated this at the Navy’s 2026 Research and Development Seminar in Abuja themed ‘Deepening the Application of Emerging Technologies for Operational Effectiveness.’
The book examines Shaibu’s leadership philosophy particularly Mission Command troop welfare and decentralised decision-making as tools for improving operational effectiveness.
Abubakar said his professional interactions with Shaibu began when the COAS served as Brigade Commander in Bama and continued during his tenure as Theatre Commander Operation HADIN KAI. He said those experiences offered insights into Shaibu’s management of personnel and resources in demanding operational environments.
The philosophy is built on five pillars captured as PROSE: Professional Excellence Robust Administration Operational Readiness Strategic Cooperation and Exemplary Leadership. At its centre is a Soldier-First culture prioritising welfare morale training dignity and empowerment.
Abubakar described Mission Command as an approach based on trust initiative and the empowerment of subordinate commanders to make decisions within their areas of responsibility. Senior commanders set objectives while field commanders decide how best to achieve them based on battlefield conditions.
‘The core of Mission Command is trust’ he said adding that commanders needed authority to respond promptly to threats without waiting for multiple approvals.
He however said decentralised decision-making required adequate equipment logistics training and welfare. Abubakar identified intelligence gaps inadequate persistent air support and limited aerial surveillance as areas requiring attention. He called for greater investment in human intelligence closer Army-Air Force coordination stronger Army Aviation and long-endurance drones.
He also advocated a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach involving security agencies government institutions and communities saying counter-insurgency could not be won through military action alone.
The book scheduled for presentation on November 24 2026 at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre Abuja is not a biography of Shaibu but an analysis of military strategy and institutional reform.
Musa said national security should go beyond military operations and law enforcement to include protection of human capital critical infrastructure and conditions for long-term investment.
He acknowledged challenges including attacks on communities highway kidnappings and sporadic insurgent activities but said the Armed Forces were intensifying operations to reclaim vulnerable areas and protect economic activity.
He aligned the strategy with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and commended ICAN for promoting fiscal discipline and transparency.
Navy seeks indigenous solutions
Abbas said criminal networks were increasingly using technology to evade detection and threaten critical national assets. He said technology-enabled surveillance had improved the Navy’s awareness of activities in Nigeria’s maritime domain and helped direct patrols to identified threats.
According to him the intelligence-led approach had enabled more efficient deployment of limited assets reduced fuel and maintenance costs and strengthened the fight against crude oil theft.
He said surveillance of offshore installations had helped create a more secure environment for oil production while emerging technologies could extend monitoring to creeks and coastal areas for pipeline protection.’
Abbas said the Navy’s dockyard and shipyard demonstrated growing capacity for indigenous shipbuilding and maintenance. He said the deployment of Marines and Special Forces in joint counter-terrorism operations had increased the need for intelligence gathering unmanned surveillance secure communications and battlefield awareness.
‘It is important to note that meaningful innovation cannot be achieved through isolated efforts. It requires purposeful collaboration with universities research institutions and indigenous industries’ he said.
Chief of Transformation and Innovation Rear Admiral Chijioke Oyenmobi said unmanned systems artificial intelligence advanced sensors and additive manufacturing were reshaping naval operations and fleet maintenance.
He said rising costs of imported platforms and spare parts coupled with long supply lead times made domestic research essential.
‘A navy that depends entirely on others for its technology cannot fully control its own readiness’ Oyenmobi said.