By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Nigeria’s security conversation took a decisive turn on Monday as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu used the opening of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference 2025 to restate his administration’s strategic commitment to the Nigerian Army, placing welfare, professionalism and combat readiness at the centre of his national security calculus.
Addressing the conference through Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President sent a clear signal to both the barracks and the broader polity: the Army remains a cornerstone of the Tinubu administration’s approach to stabilising the country and protecting its economic and political foundations.
The Lagos venue brought together a cross-section of Nigeria’s military authority serving commanders alongside retired Service Chiefs whose careers shaped doctrine, deployments and institutional culture over decades.
President Tinubu paid tribute to these elder statesmen, describing their presence as evidence of the Army’s enduring heritage and fighting spirit.
He praised officers and soldiers who continue to place national duty above personal comfort, noting that their sacrifices in defence of Nigeria’s sovereignty and unity are permanently etched into the nation’s history.
The annual conference, he said, is not ceremonial, it is a strategic pause for self-examination and recalibration.
Tinubu underscored the importance of the COAS Conference as a forum for honest reflection and strategic evaluation, particularly as Nigeria navigates a shifting landscape of global, regional and internal security threats.
From insurgency and terrorism to banditry and transnational crime, he said, the Army must continuously refine its training, administration and operational doctrines.
The President’s remarks framed security not just as a military concern but as an essential pillar for national cohesion and economic recovery.
The Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa, reinforced the President’s position, describing the conference as a strategic clearinghouse for assessing readiness and aligning the Army’s future direction with national priorities.
While commending the resilience and professionalism of Army personnel, Musa issued a pointed reminder: conference outcomes must translate into measurable operational gains.
Joint operations, inter-agency coordination and a whole-of-society approach, he said, are now non-negotiable in tackling Nigeria’s layered security challenges.
In his welcome address, Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu acknowledged what he described as sustained political will from the Presidency, pointing to improvements in troop welfare, equipment modernisation, training and institutional reform.
He also credited the National Assembly for legislative and budgetary backing that has strengthened the Army’s operational posture across all theatres.
The Nigerian Army, Shaibu said, is deliberately evolving into a more professional, adaptive and technology-driven force, capable of confronting both conventional warfare and asymmetric threats.
He urged participants to anchor their deliberations on patriotism, discipline and a shared commitment to national peace.
Host Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu framed security as the bedrock of development, praising the Nigerian Army’s role in preserving national unity and democratic governance.
He singled out Headquarters 81 Division for its contributions to stability in Lagos State and pledged continued state support for military operations.
The opening ceremony drew senior government officials, Service Chiefs, former Chiefs of Defence Staff and Army Staff, heads of security agencies, diplomats and other high-level stakeholders underscoring the political and strategic weight attached to the conference.
As deliberations begin, the COAS Annual Conference 2025 is expected to interrogate operational realities, administrative reforms and strategic priorities that will define how the Nigerian Army executes its constitutional mandate in the months ahead.
In Lagos, the message was unmistakable: the political leadership has doubled down, the military leadership has mapped its ambitions, and the next phase of Nigeria’s security response now rests on execution.
