The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has charged officers trained in strategic leadership to deploy their competencies to add value to the newly created divisions of the Nigerian Army.
Shaibu gave the charge on Friday in Abuja at the graduation ceremony of 43 participants of the Leadership and Strategic Studies Course 4/2025 conducted by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre.
He said the course was designed to improve the proficiency of officers, particularly Lieutenant Colonels of the Direct Regular Commission, and equip them with requisite competencies for higher responsibilities.
“The course has equipped the various officers who have passed through it with the requisite competencies to offer professional advice to various commanders or, when they are in command, to carry out the tasks before them properly.
“Most of the postings have been released,to and they have been posted to various formations, including the newly created divisions.
“It is expected that they will bring added value to the running of those divisions and do their jobs properly,” he said.
The COAS said the development of strategically minded officers had become particularly important following the expansion of the Army’s force structure from eight to 12 divisions, alongside the creation of additional formations and units.
He said the expansion required not only additional manpower and equipment, but also intellectually prepared officers capable of providing effective leadership, sound staff work and strategic direction.
Shaibu urged the officers to bring added value wherever they were deployed, whether in command, staff, policy, training or administrative appointments.
He said their presence should improve the quality of planning, decision-making and institutional performance across the service.
The COAS said the contemporary security environment, characterised by terrorism, insurgency, banditry, transnational organised crime, cyber threats and information warfare, required officers capable of looking beyond immediate tactical challenges.
He urged them to apply the knowledge acquired during the 11-month programme to develop innovative responses that integrate kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to national security.
The COAS also charged the graduands to continue reading, researching, questioning assumptions and adapting to emerging security challenges.
He said their future professional performance should demonstrate the value of the investment made in their development.
The Director-General of NARC, retired Maj.-Gen. James Myam, said the Leadership and Strategic Studies Course was one of the Centre’s flagship programmes for providing high-level professional and academic education to selected officers.
Myam said the course was conducted in partnership with the Postgraduate School of the Nigerian Defence Academy to enable participants critically examine Nigeria’s security challenges and develop the strategic knowledge and skills required to address them.
He said the programme was initiated following a training gap identified by Army Headquarters and was structured around interconnected issues of leadership, strategy and national security.
According to him, successful participants are awarded a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Strategic Studies through the Nigerian Defence Academy and are eligible for fellowship of the NARC.
The Director of Human Resources Development, NARC, Brig.-Gen. John Majebi, said the philosophy of the course was to build the capacity and competence of senior officers and enhance their strategic capabilities.
Majebi said the programme sought to improve participants’ application of leadership in strategic environments by providing relevant knowledge and skills while leveraging their operational experience.
He said the 11-month programme covered leadership and management, policy and strategy, research methodology, psychology, national security and defence economy, entrepreneurship, peace support operations and logistics planning.
Majebi said the 43 graduands comprised one Brigadier-General, 31 Colonels and 11 Lieutenant-Colonels, who were awarded Master’s Degrees in Leadership and Strategic Studies and a Fellowship in Leadership and Strategic Studies.
The Nigerian Army Resource Centre was established to support research, policy development, strategic thinking, and continuous advancement of professional military education.