‘Terrorists now using information warfare to undermine Army’ — COAS charges Commanders to brace up

The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has charged senior commanders of the Nigerian Army to develop the strategic foresight, professional competence and leadership capacity required to confront the increasingly complex security challenges facing the country.

Mr Shaibu gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the Second Senior Command and Leadership Seminar 2026 at the Headquarters of 1 Division Nigerian Army in Kaduna.

The seminar, themed **“Strategic Leadership for Effective Command in an Evolving Security Environment,”** brought together senior commanders and resource persons to strengthen leadership capacity, share operational experiences and develop practical responses to emerging command challenges.

The COAS said the changing nature of warfare meant that military success could no longer be measured solely by battlefield superiority, stressing that credibility, public confidence and effective leadership had become equally important to operational effectiveness.

He identified terrorism, insurgency, banditry, transnational organised crime, cyber threats, disruptive technologies and information warfare as some of the factors reshaping Nigeria’s security environment.

Mr Shaibu therefore urged commanders to remain intellectually agile, operationally innovative and morally courageous while exercising sound judgment in situations characterised by uncertainty and rapidly changing threats.

He particularly drew the attention of the commanders to the growing importance of the information environment, warning that adversaries and other malign actors were increasingly using misinformation, deliberate distortion and manipulation of public perception to undermine military credibility and erode public confidence.

According to him, commanders must incorporate the information environment into campaign design, operational planning and the conduct of military activities.

He stressed the need for timely, accurate and credible communication to support operational decisions and counter attempts to manipulate public perception.

The COAS, however, warned that effective communication could not compensate for indiscipline or unprofessional conduct by troops in the field.

He said professional conduct remained critical to protecting the reputation, legitimacy and public confidence in the Nigerian Army.

Mr Shaibu consequently directed commanders to ensure strict compliance with Rules of Engagement, respect for human rights, protection of civilians and accountability at all levels.

He noted that the conduct of soldiers during operations could have consequences extending beyond the immediate theatre of operations, particularly in an era when information could spread rapidly through traditional and social media platforms.

The Army chief also spoke on the recent expansion of the force structure of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, describing the development as both an opportunity and a major leadership responsibility for senior commanders.

He stressed that expanding the Army involved more than increasing manpower and equipment, saying commanders had a crucial role to play in transforming newly established formations into cohesive, credible and combat-ready fighting organisations.

“The values commanders promote, the standards they enforce and the leaders they develop would shape the effectiveness of these formations for years to come,” he said.

Mr Shaibu urged participants to ensure that lessons from the seminar translated into measurable improvements in command, campaign planning, operational effectiveness, mentorship and institutional performance.

He encouraged commanders to build cohesive teams, develop successors, empower subordinates, promote innovation and strengthen engagement with communities and legitimate stakeholders within their areas of responsibility.

The COAS also called for leadership that would enable commanders to anticipate emerging threats rather than merely respond to them, stressing the importance of strategic thinking in dealing with an increasingly complex security environment.

While declaring the seminar open, Mr Shaibu expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for what he described as his visionary leadership and continued support for the Nigerian Army.

He particularly commended the President for his support in personnel welfare, operational capability development and institutional transformation.

The Army chief said the recent approval for the expansion of the Army’s force structure demonstrated the administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s defence architecture and enhancing the military’s capacity to respond to evolving security threats.

Earlier, the Chief of Training (Army), Maj. Gen. Valentine Okoro, described the seminar as an important capacity-building platform for strengthening the competencies of commanders at operational and strategic levels.

Okoro said realistic, progressive and mission-oriented training remained central to the transformation of the Nigerian Army into a professional, adaptable, combat-ready and resilient force.

He said such training was particularly important in enabling the Army to discharge its constitutional responsibilities effectively within a joint and multi-agency operational environment.

In his welcome address, the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Abubakar Wase, described the seminar as timely, given the changing character of warfare and the emergence of increasingly sophisticated asymmetric threats.

Wase said the rapid integration of technology into military operations required commanders to combine strategic foresight with resolute and ethical leadership.

He urged participants to ensure that their deliberations produced practical outcomes capable of strengthening formations, improving decision-making and enhancing the overall operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army.

The seminar is expected to provide senior commanders with an opportunity to examine contemporary security challenges, share operational experiences and develop leadership approaches suited to Nigeria’s evolving security environment.