The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has unveiled a new Command Philosophy designed to reposition the Nigerian Army as a highly professional, agile, combat-effective and resilient force.
According to a statement signed on Wednesday by the Acting Director Army Public Relations Appolonia Anele in Abuja, the Army chief presented the forward-looking doctrine on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, while delivering a lecture to participants of Senior Course 48 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.
In his address, Lieutenant General Shaibu emphasized that leadership in today’s complex security environment must be anchored on character, courage and genuine care for personnel. He noted that the Nigerian Army is currently engaged in operations across all geopolitical zones, tackling counterinsurgency, counterterrorism and other internal security challenges within an increasingly volatile and multidimensional threat landscape.
According to him, the realities of these engagements demand not only tactical competence but also sustained institutional strength and adaptability.
The new Command Philosophy, he explained, is aimed at accelerating the transformation of the Nigerian Army into a force capable of decisively fulfilling its constitutional mandate within joint and multi-agency frameworks. He described innovation as critical to progress, while underscoring resilience as the defining attribute of the Nigerian soldier. Mission accomplishment, he stressed, remains the Army’s central guiding principle.
The doctrine is structured around five key pillars captured in the acronym PROSE — Professional Excellence, Robust Administration, Operational Readiness, Strategic Cooperation and Exemplary Leadership. These pillars, the COAS said, are anchored on a Soldier-First Culture that prioritizes welfare, morale, training, dignity and empowerment as foundations of combat effectiveness and institutional credibility.
Lieutenant General Shaibu further noted that operational success goes beyond battlefield victories to include building public trust, strengthening civil-military relations and maintaining strict adherence to the rule of law.
He charged participants of the senior course, whom he described as the future operational and strategic leaders of the Army, to internalize the philosophy and translate it into measurable impact within their respective commands.
The unveiling of the PROSE-driven Command Philosophy signals a significant strategic shift for the Nigerian Army as it seeks to balance ongoing internal security operations with long-term force development, modernization and institutional reform in response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
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