The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has emphasised the need for enhanced tactical-level leadership among commanding officers to boost combat readiness in a joint and multi-agency environment.
The Army Chief made the call on Tuesday in Abuja, while declaring open the First Commanding Officers’ Workshop 2026 with the theme ”Enhancing Tactical-Level Leadership in a Joint and Multi-Agency Environment”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shaibu was represented by the Chief of Transformation and Innovation, Army, Maj.-Gen. Olusegun Abai.
According to Shaibu, the workshop is a crucial aspect of the Nigerian Army’s efforts to strengthen training standards and address contemporary operational and administrative challenges.
“The theme of this workshop, ‘Enhancing Tactical-Level Leadership for Combat Readiness in a Joint and Multi-Agency Environment’, is adequately crafted and aligns with my command philosophy.”
The COAS noted that commanding officers bore significant responsibility for executing operational directives and translating them into favorable outcomes.
He urged the officers to leverage the workshop to reflect on their units’ performance and devise workable methods to retrain troops to be combat-ready and professionally competent.
According to him, the workshop reflects deliberate efforts to strengthen training standards through focused lectures and robust discussions on contemporary operational and administrative challenges.
”As a critical link between the operational and tactical levels of command, commanding officers occupy a position of immense responsibility.
”It is therefore imperative that they are continually exposed to the principles of military leadership, art of command and professional excellence, all geared towards ensuring troops’ combat readiness.
”I therefore consider the theme for this workshop, which is Enhancing Tactical-Level Leadership for Combat Readiness in a Joint and Multi-Agency Environment, adequately crafted as it is in line with the tenets of my command philosophy.
”As commanding officers, you all bear the significant responsibility of executing operational directives and translating them into favorable outcomes”.
Shaibu also tasked the commanding officers with building a solid foundation of regimentation, discipline, and junior leadership in the Nigerian Army.
He called on the officers to guide young officers and soldiers under their command, providing leadership, mentorship, and direction.
”As commanding officers, you are directly responsible for building a solid foundation of regimentation, discipline and, of course, junior leadership in the Nigerian Army.
”In essence, you must guide the young officers and soldiers who will look up to you for leadership, mentorship and direction.
”Therefore, as you participate in this workshop, begin to ask yourself some pertinent questions individually and collectively,” he said.
He further urged participants to take vital takeaways from the scheduled lectures and interactive sessions, and to regularly ask themselves questions on how to improve their units’ performance.
The Commander of Army Headquarters Garrison, Maj.-Gen. Maxwell Dangana, in his remarks, emphasised the need for adaptive, collaborative, and mission-focused leadership among commanding officers in Nigeria’s complex security landscape.
Dangana noted that threats were asymmetrical and transnational, requiring coordinated responses from multiple security stakeholders.
“As commanding officers, you occupy a critical position in Nigeria’s army command structure. You are the direct link between policy and execution, translating strategic intent into actionable plans,” he said.
The Commander stressed that tactical leadership must go beyond traditional command and control, emphasising the need for seamless cooperation with sister services and other security agencies.
He urged commanding officers to understand not only army doctrine but also the procedures, capabilities, and limitations of other services and agencies.
Dangana expressed confidence that the workshop would strengthen the collective resolve to enhance tactical leadership in line with contemporary operational realities.
Similary, the Chief of Training, Army, Maj.-Gen. Valentine Okoro, urged commanding officers to enhance their tactical leadership skills to effectively respond to the complex security challenges facing the Nigerian Army.
According to Okoro, the initiative supports the COAS’ command philosophy, which aims to transform the Nigerian Army into a more professional, adaptable, combat-ready, and resilient force.
He emphasised that commanding officers were the drivers of transformation at the tactical level, and their leadership decisions and professional conduct set the standards for discipline, morale, and operational excellence.
He urged the officers to take full advantage of the seminar, engage actively in lectures and discussions, and internalise the lessons to improve their leadership skills.
He assured that the Department of Army Training would continue to provide guidance and institutional support to enable commanding officers meet the core intent of sustaining a highly professional and combat-ready Nigerian Army.
The workshop focuses on enhancing command efficiency, effective group administration, cyber security awareness, objectivity in performance evaluation reporting, and equipment maintenance in the field.
