President Bola Tinubu has backed the Nigerian Army’s shift from static defence to more mobile offensive operations under the leadership of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu.
Tinubu said the shift formed part of a broader military reform agenda focused on professionalism, adaptability, combat readiness and resilience.
The President stated this 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, obtained by our correspondent on Thursday.
Tinubu said the Armed Forces had a responsibility to secure the country and create an environment where 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.
According to him, the four pillars of professionalism, adaptability, combat readiness and resilience underpin Shaibu’s command philosophy and guide the Army’s approach to training, equipment, combat operations and leadership.
The President described the doctrine as a significant departure from military conservatism, noting that the Army had moved away from static defence towards more mobile offensive operations under Shaibu’s leadership.
He said the reforms also covered the adoption of technology, indigenisation of military tools, improved personnel welfare and a renewed emphasis on military ethics.
“The “Shaibu Doctrine” marks a decisive break from military conservatism. Under Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, the Army pivoted from static defence to mobile offence. It embraced technology, indigenised its tools, and restored the primacy of the soldiers’ welfare and ethics.
“These were not abstract reforms. They were choices made in the heat of battle, with lives on the line and the nation watching. What makes this volume essential is its honesty. It begins with a diagnosis of where we were: doctrinal fatigue, logistical strain, and a deficit of trust between the soldier and society,” Tinubu said.
The book examines Shaibu’s leadership philosophy, particularly the role of mission command, troop welfare and decentralised decision-making in improving the Army’s operational effectiveness.
Speaking on the motivation for the publication, Abubakar said his professional interactions with Shaibu began when the latter served as Brigade Commander in Bama and continued during his tenure as Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai.
He said the experiences provided insights into Shaibu’s approach to personnel and resource management, as well as his efforts to sustain troop morale in challenging operational environments.
Abubakar said he and Adejoh decided to document the philosophy systematically following Shaibu’s appointment as COAS, believing it contained lessons relevant to the Army’s evolving operational challenges.
He explained that the philosophy was built around five pillars captured by the acronym PROSE: Professional Excellence, Robust Administration, Operational Readiness, Strategic Cooperation and Exemplary Leadership.
At its centre, he said, was a Soldier-First culture that prioritised personnel welfare, morale, training, dignity and empowerment as foundations of combat effectiveness.
Abubakar described mission command as a leadership approach based on trust, initiative and the empowerment of subordinate commanders to make decisions within their areas of responsibility.
He called for increased investment in human intelligence and stronger collaboration with credible community actors and private security outfits with local knowledge of conflict-prone areas.
He also advocated more persistent air support for ground troops and closer coordination between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force.
According to him, strengthening Army Aviation and prioritising long-endurance drones could improve battlefield surveillance, situational awareness and commanders’ ability to respond to emerging threats.
Abubakar said Nigeria’s complex security environment, extensive borders and the asymmetric tactics employed by armed groups required continuous adaptation of military strategies and capabilities.