How the COAS Conference Reassessed Nigerian Army’s Fight against Terrorism, Insurgency
The just concluded Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference 2025 in Lagos served as a strategic stocktaking of Nigeria’s security environment. Framed around the evolving nature of terrorism and the need for long-term stabilisation through both diplomatic and military approaches, the conference examined operational gains, institutional reforms, civil-military relations and troop welfare. From President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reaffirmation of support and insistence on constitutional professionalism, to the Nigerian Army’s commitment to training overhaul, intelligence enhancement and welfare-driven reforms, Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that the gathering marked a transition from assessment to action in Nigeria’s security recalibration
Against the backdrop of Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference 2025 convened in Lagos as a strategic forum for reassessing how the Nigerian Army confronts terrorism, insurgency and complex criminal threats.
Beyond its ceremonial importance, the conference served as a high-level policy and operational retreat, bringing together serving and retired senior officers, defence policymakers and security stakeholders to evaluate the Army’s performance in 2025 and refine its direction for the year ahead.
The conference brought the Vice President Kashim Shettima as well as serving and retired service chiefs including the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd); Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; his wife, Safiyyah; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; as well as former COAS, Gen Ipoola Akinrinade and Gen Azubuike Ihejirika; ex-Minister, Gen Ike Nwachukwu; former CDS Alexander Ogomudia, General Gabriel Olonisakin and General Lucky Irabor.
Others include Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; representative of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Babajimi Benson; Senator Azeez Musa Yar’adua representing the Senate President; Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh; Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, among others senior officers.
Key Derivatives
Anchored on the theme, “Examining the current landscape of terrorism through the lenses of diplomatic and military action: strategy for long-term prevention and stabilisation”, the conference sought to move discussions beyond battlefield successes to the deeper drivers of insecurity. Deliberations also focused on how military operations intersect with diplomacy, intelligence coordination, civil-military engagement and regional cooperation, recognising that modern security threats demand responses that extend beyond force of arms.
Also examined was the shifting character of terrorism in Nigeria and the wider region, the increasing sophistication of non-state actors, and the need for a security architecture that is adaptive, intelligence-driven and rooted in constitutional order, just as it provided an opportunity to review operational gains, identify gaps in training and logistics, and strengthen inter-agency collaboration within a joint operational framework.
Critical Self-assessment
In his opening address, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, set the tone for the conference by describing it as a deliberate platform for critical self-assessment, just as he explained that the gathering was designed to review the Nigerian Army’s operational and administrative performance over the course of 2025, identify gaps, and consolidate plans for the coming year.
He noted that deliberations over the days of the conference spanned administration, training and operations, and that the depth of engagement had provided a clearer picture of both progress made and shortcomings encountered. According to him, the discussions reinforced the reality that Nigeria’s operating environment is becoming increasingly complex, with evolving threat patterns requiring continuous learning, adaptation and innovation.
He reaffirmed that, in response, the NA would immediately begin to realign its training, operational and logistics frameworks with his Command Philosophy, which prioritises professionalism, adaptability, combat readiness and resilience within a joint and multi-agency environment. Central to this effort, he said, would be a comprehensive overhaul of training curricula across Army schools, driven by mission-specific and realistic training that directly influences operational outcomes.
He also underscored the need to enhance intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance and cyber capabilities, noting that regional instability and global shifts in the character of warfare demand constant institutional evolution. Greater emphasis, he added, would be placed on Special Forces and Army Aviation to achieve desired operational effects.
Welfare featured prominently in the COAS’s interventions. He acknowledged persistent accommodation shortages within the Army and committed to completing ongoing residential projects, initiating new ones across divisions, and expanding renovation works across barracks as an interim measure. He also highlighted sustained efforts to secure post-service housing for soldiers, describing troop welfare as inseparable from morale, discipline and operational effectiveness.
Pledge for Support and Charge for Professionalism and Constitutional Loyalty
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while speaking, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare, professionalism and operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army. Represented by Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, the president described the conference as a reflection of the Armed Forces’ enduring heritage and resilience.
He urged the Army to consolidate recent gains in national security while remaining firmly apolitical and guided by constitutional boundaries. Highlighting ongoing modernisation efforts, President Tinubu referenced investments in Army aviation, armoured platforms and refurbished fighting vehicles returned to service as evidence of sustained support for operational readiness.
The President also stressed the importance of partnerships with friendly nations to expand research, innovation and indigenous production, noting that long-term security requires both capability development and strategic independence. Equally significant was his emphasis on civil-military cooperation, describing security as a process that involves winning public trust, restoring dignity and improving lives alongside kinetic operations.
Stability as a Development Imperative
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, framed security as the foundation upon which development rests. He observed that enduring progress is impossible without stability, and that stability, in turn, depends on a capable, disciplined and professional military.
Commending the Nigerian Army’s restructuring and professional development, the Governor described the institution as one consciously repositioning itself to meet the demands of a modern democracy. His remarks reflected the perspective of sub-national governments whose economic and social ambitions are closely tied to the security environment.
Intelligence Sharing, Interagency Collaboration as Essential Pillars
In turn, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, placed the conference within the broader national effort to counter terrorism and violent crime. He acknowledged that while challenges persist, the operational capacity of terrorist groups, bandits and other criminal elements has been significantly degraded across multiple theatres.
He attributed these gains to improved planning, troop resilience and the growing effectiveness of joint and multi-agency operations. Stressing that modern security threats cannot be addressed in isolation, he described intelligence sharing, coordinated planning and inter-agency collaboration as essential pillars of national defence.
The conference concluded with symbolic gestures underscoring institutional memory and sacrifice, including the unveiling of a book on the life and service of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, and the presentation of cheques to families of deceased soldiers. Also rewarded were master warrant officers who went home with brand new trucks.
From Assessment to Commitment
When the closing ceremony reached its peak, it marked a transition from reflection to commitments. While Lieutenant General Shuaibu assured President Tinubu and Nigerians that the Army would remain unflinchingly loyal to the Constitution and the Commander-in-Chief in discharging its responsibilities with professionalism and discipline, he said the conference was a candid assessment of the Army’s operational and administrative performance in 2025.
He further announced that outcomes from the deliberations would inform immediate adjustments to training, operations and logistics, including a comprehensive review of training curricula, enhanced focus on Special Forces and Army Aviation, and expanded intelligence and cyber capabilities.
He also harped on welfare with renewed commitment to addressing accommodation shortages, completing housing projects and securing post-service housing for personnel.
This pledge reinforced the central message of the conference that operational success, institutional reform and human welfare remain inseparably linked in the Nigerian Army’s evolving security mission.
