Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has unveiled what is believed to be a bold and forward-looking Command Philosophy to reposition the Nigerian Army as a highly professional, agile, combat-effective and resilient force.
The COAS articulated this transformative vision on Wednesday during a lecture delivered to participants of Senior Course 48 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.
A statement made available to newsmen by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, said in his well-structured presentation, the COAS stressed that effective leadership in today’s dynamic security climate must be rooted in character, courage and genuine concern for personnel.
The Army Chief noted that the Nigerian Army operates within an increasingly volatile, complex and multi-dimensional threat environment, with ongoing commitments across all geopolitical zones in counterinsurgency, counterterrorism and other internal security operations.
According to the COAS, these realities, require not only tactical proficiency but also enduring institutional strength.
He explained that the new Command Philosophy is designed to accelerate the transformation of the Nigerian Army into a force fully capable of decisively fulfilling its constitutional mandate within joint and multi-agency frameworks.
Lieutenant General Shaibu highlighted innovation as the engine of progress, reaffirming resilience as the defining spirit of the Nigerian soldier, adding that with clarity of vision and unity of purpose, mission accomplishment must remain the unyielding guiding principle of the Nigerian Army.
According to the COAS, “The philosophy is built around five mutually reinforcing pillars encapsulated in the acronym PROSE, which stands for Professional Excellence, Robust Administration, Operational Readiness, Strategic Cooperation and Exemplary Leadership.
The COAS maintained that these pillars are firmly anchored on a Soldier-First Culture that focuses on personnel welfare, morale, training, dignity and empowerment as the bedrock of combat effectiveness and institutional credibility.
He also highlighted that operational success extends beyond battlefield achievements to include public trust, strengthened civil-military relations and unwavering adherence to the rule of law.
Lieutenant General Shaibu described the participants as the future operational and strategic leaders of the Nigerian Army, urging them to internalize the philosophy and translate it into measurable impact across formations and units.
According to the statement, the introduction of the PROSE-driven Command Philosophy marks a decisive strategic shift for the Nigerian Army, reinforcing its resolve to balance sustained internal security operations with long-term force development, modernization and institutional reform in response to Nigeria’s evolving security landscape.
