CDS assures veterans of continued welfare support
President Bola Tinubu has praised the leadership philosophy of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, describing it as the foundation of a Nigerian Army focused on professionalism, adaptability, combat readiness and resilience.
Tinubu said the pillars underpinning Shaibu’s command philosophy also guided the Army’s approach to training, equipment, combat operations and leadership.
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, the President described the doctrine as a significant departure from military conservatism. He said the Army had shifted from static defence towards more mobile offensive operations under Shaibu’s leadership.
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 added that the ongoing reforms included the adoption of technology, the indigenisation of military tools, improved personnel welfare and a renewed emphasis on military ethics.
“These were not abstract reforms. They were choices made in the heat of battle, with lives on the line and the nation watching,” the President said.
The book examines Shaibu’s leadership philosophy, particularly the role of Mission Command, troop welfare and decentralised decision-making in strengthening the Army’s operational effectiveness.
Speaking about the motivation behind the publication, Abubakar said his professional interactions with Shaibu began when the latter served as a brigade commander in Bama and continued during his tenure as Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai.
He said the experience gave him insight into Shaibu’s approach to managing personnel and military resources while sustaining troop morale in demanding operational environments.
Abubakar said he and Adejoh decided to document the philosophy systematically following Shaibu’s appointment as COAS, believing it offered lessons relevant to the Army’s evolving operational challenges.
He said 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 core, 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.
Under this approach, senior commanders set operational objectives while allowing subordinate commanders to determine the best ways to achieve them, taking prevailing battlefield conditions into account, he said.
The central message, he added, was that effective leadership in challenging conditions required commanders to trust their subordinates, invest in personnel, align administration with operations, promote inter-agency cooperation and lead by example.
The book is scheduled to be presented on November 24, 2026, at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja.
Musa pledges to preserve ECOMOG legacy
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to documenting and preserving the legacy and sacrifices of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).
Musa gave the assurance when he received a delegation of ECOMOG veterans, led by Major General Ohifeme Ejimai (rtd), at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the delegation visited to brief him on the group’s activities and ongoing initiatives.
Musa acknowledged the significant human and financial resources Nigeria committed to ECOMOG, saying personnel who paid the supreme price, particularly during peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, would never be forgotten.
He assured the delegation that efforts to document the remaining records, casualties and historical assets would be completed to ensure their proper preservation.
Earlier, Ejimai provided an update on the status of surviving Nigerian ECOMOG veterans, noting their readiness to continue contributing to national development and security.
He urged the ministry to address gaps in the documentation and consider establishing a dedicated remembrance day to honour the hundreds of Nigerian troops who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace and stability in West Africa.
ECOMOG was a regional peacekeeping and peace-enforcement force established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1990. Driven largely by Nigerian leadership and troops, it played a decisive role in restoring constitutional order, protecting civilians and stabilising the region during complex crises.
Oluyede assures veterans of welfare support
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has assured Armed Forces veterans of continued welfare initiatives to improve their lives after service, while calling on them to play a greater role in the national security architecture.
Oluyede gave the assurance during an interactive session with veterans from the South-West at the headquarters of the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan. The meeting was part of his ongoing nationwide engagement with veterans.
Addressing the veterans, Oluyede thanked them for their years of sacrifice in keeping the nation united and peaceful.
“Your service and sacrifice will never be forgotten by the nation,” he said.
He said the Federal Government remained committed to improving veterans’ welfare in recognition of their service. He cited the recent pay rise for serving personnel and the corresponding adjustment to veterans’ pensions as evidence of the government’s gratitude to the Armed Forces.
He added that issues arising from the pension adjustment were being addressed.
Oluyede outlined several initiatives being pursued by Defence Headquarters to improve the welfare of serving personnel and veterans. These included his determination to dedicate at least one hospital in each geopolitical zone to veterans’ medical needs, in addition to existing healthcare arrangements.
He said data collection was ongoing and the necessary processes were at an advanced stage.
The CDS also disclosed that efforts were under way to establish a low-interest loan scheme to help veterans start businesses and pursue other productive ventures after service.
He spoke about the recently launched Defence Headquarters online shop, established in collaboration with Konga, and said efforts were being made to bring more major businesses on board to provide discounted goods and services to personnel and veterans.
Oluyede urged veterans to continue contributing to peace and security in their communities and to pray for serving personnel as they work to keep the nation safe.
During the interactive session, veterans raised concerns and sought clarification on issues affecting them. The CDS responded to their questions.
Also present to provide further clarification were the Chief of Defence Administration, Rear Admiral Gideon Kachim; the Commandant of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Air Vice Marshal NI Iloh; and the Chairman of the Military Pensions Board, Major General JE Osifoh.
The participants discussed veterans’ entitlements, welfare programmes and other administrative matters.
The President of the Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers’ Association (RANAO), Major General HA Salihu (rtd), thanked the CDS for the engagement and urged veterans to continue using dialogue to resolve issues of concern.
