Nigerian Army Chief Advocates Training Overhaul to Combat Evolving Threats
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has emphasized the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the Nigerian Army’s training and doctrine to address the nation’s rapidly evolving security challenges. Speaking at the 2025 Doctrine and Training Conference in Minna, Niger State, Oluyede called for a paradigm shift in training methods to better align with modern threats such as terrorism, insurgency, banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, and economic crimes.
Highlighting the Army’s commitment to national security, Oluyede stated:
“While doctrine is about how we fight today’s battle, concept, which in the ideal sense, is the harbinger of doctrine, focuses on how we change the army for future battles. The concept advances ideas for significant change based on proposed approaches to operations and technology. When a concept is validated, its ideas are transformed into doctrine. Hence, both concept and doctrine ultimately shape the Army’s training and procurement efforts to enable the Force to achieve national objectives.”
The conference, themed “Understanding Nigerian Army Doctrine for Effective Training within a Joint Environment,” underscores the Army Chief’s philosophy of transforming the Nigerian Army into a combat-ready and well-motivated force. Oluyede urged stakeholders to introduce innovative ideas to improve the Army’s training curriculum and operational readiness.
He reiterated the importance of realistic training, sustainable troop support, and strategic equipment procurement to ensure combat readiness. Addressing the challenges posed by transnational and domestic threats, he said:
“In addressing these challenges, the Nigerian Army has prioritised equipment upgrades and manpower boosts in the past decade. However, the intensity of our commitment to resolving the security issues at hand has made it difficult to comprehensively review how we train to fight today’s battle with the modern equipment we have acquired vis-a-vis the nature of the threat we face.”
The Army Chief also promised enhanced accommodations, welfare packages, and training aids for personnel, reinforcing his commitment to improving overall troop conditions.
Major General Kelvin Aligbe, Commander of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), echoed Oluyede’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of a tailored training approach to address Nigeria’s multifaceted security challenges. He added:
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“At the national level, the Nigerian Army would be operating largely as part of a joint task force or multi-agency outfit while retaining the readiness to do same under a multinational force within a regional or global arrangement. It is, therefore, accepted that the first step to achieving the desired effectiveness within a joint or multinational environment is to have well-trained and mission-capable troops.”
A notable highlight of the conference was the launch of the Nigerian Army Manual on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Warfare, with 10,000 copies produced for distribution to Army schools and training centers.
As the Nigerian Army adapts to new threats, the Doctrine and Training Conference serves as a cornerstone for reshaping strategies, ensuring that the force remains effective and prepared for future challenges.
