By Helen Udo, Abuja -NIGERIA.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to a dynamic, intelligence-led and technology-enabled approach to tackling Nigeria’s evolving asymmetric security threats. Speaking at the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja, during a strategic lecture to Course 34 participants, the COAS noted that modern security challenges have shifted from conventional warfare to complex conflicts driven by non-state actors such as insurgents, bandits, terrorists, cybercriminals and transnational crime networks.
He explained that in response, the Nigerian Army has recalibrated its doctrine and operations through a comprehensive multi-domain strategy that combines kinetic operations with intelligence fusion, inter-agency collaboration, joint operations with sister services and international partnerships.
These was contained in a statement signed by Colonel Appolonia Anele,
Acting Director Army Public Relations on tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, Army operations are tailored to regional threat dynamics: counter-insurgency efforts in the North-East, intensified joint operations against banditry in the North-West, and stabilisation missions in the North-Central region focused on civilian protection and area domination.
Lieutenant General Shaibu highlighted the role of advanced technology, improved training and enhanced jointness in boosting operational effectiveness, stressing that national security now extends beyond territorial defence to include economic security, cyber resilience, environmental stability and human security. He emphasised that lasting peace requires strong governance, justice and inclusive socio-economic development to complement military action.
The COAS urged future military and strategic leaders at the NDC to adopt integrated and forward-looking security frameworks that address both the symptoms and root causes of conflict, while assuring Nigerians of the Army’s unwavering resolve to defend national sovereignty, protect lives and property, and secure critical national infrastructure despite evolving threats.
