By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
In a move signalling a major shift from battlefield reaction to strategic anticipation, Nigeria’s military high command has concluded a four-day high-level doctrine summit designed to reshape how wars will be fought not just in Nigeria, but across West Africa.
The landmark gathering, held at the Army War College Nigeria, brought together regional officers, foreign defence partners and strategic planners to draft a unified operational playbook against terrorism, insurgency and emerging threats.
The workshop was organised by the Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre under the authority of the Defence Headquarters Nigeria.
Speaking for the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, FO Edosa, described the creation of the doctrine centre as a decisive step toward strengthening national sovereignty.
According to him, modern warfare is no longer won by firepower alone but by ideas, coordination and anticipation.
“Doctrine is the intellectual foundation of military operations,” he declared.
“What we developed here must guide future strategy and operational concepts.”
The meeting drew officers from Ghana, Gambia, Senegal and Sierra Leone alongside representatives of the ECOWAS Standby Force and the British Defence Staff West Africa.
Military officials said the presence of multiple countries reflected a shared reality: today’s threats cross borders faster than armies.
Participants examined joint response models to insurgency, terrorism networks, and hybrid warfare tactics now spreading across the Sahel.
Earlier, the Director-General of the doctrine centre, AE Edet, explained the programme was split into two phases Nigerian forces first, regional officers later to harmonise operational thinking across armies, navies and air forces.
The goal: produce a specialised cadre of doctrine writers capable of turning battlefield lessons into official manuals.
Retired senior officers and foreign resource persons provided case studies from past conflicts, while planners worked to convert them into practical operational guides.
Military planners stressed the importance of standardised procedures, noting that joint operations often fail when forces operate under different rules of engagement.
Officials said the emerging doctrine would:
strengthen multi-agency cooperation
improve regional rapid response
enhance intelligence coordination
enable joint operations across borders
Defence Headquarters described the workshop as a milestone in building a military that fights smarter, not just harder.
The message from Abuja was unmistakable future victories may depend less on weapons and more on preparation.
In modern warfare, commanders say, the battle is often decided long before the first shot is fired inside the doctrine room.
