The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Nigerian Army to a dynamic, intelligence-driven and technology-enabled approach in confronting asymmetric threats to Nigeria’s national security.
The COAS made this assertion on Tuesday, 3rd February’ 2026, while delivering a strategic lecture titled: “Combating Asymmetric Threats to National Security in Nigeria: The Nigerian Army in Perspective” to participants of the National Defence College (NDC), Nigeria, Course 34.
Lieutenant General Shaibu observed that the contemporary global security environment has undergone a fundamental transformation, shifting from traditional state-centric warfare to complex intra-state conflicts dominated by non-state actors, including terrorists, insurgents, bandits, cybercriminals and transnational organised crime networks that deliberately exploit governance gaps, societal vulnerabilities and emerging technologies.
In response to this evolving threat spectrum, the COAS stated that the Nigerian Army has deliberately recalibrated its operational doctrine, force posture and employment of capabilities through a comprehensive multi-domain strategy. This approach integrates decisive kinetic action with intelligence fusion, inter-agency cooperation, joint operations with sister services and sustained international partnerships.
“Asymmetric threats thrive on adaptability, anonymity and the targeting of civilians to erode public confidence and state authority. Our response must therefore be equally adaptive, proactive, intelligence-led and collaborative, leveraging military power alongside technology, whole-of-government coordination and strategic partnerships,” the COAS stated.
He explained that across Nigeria’s geo-political zones, Nigerian Army operations have been deliberately tailored to prevailing threat dynamics. In the North-East, sustained counter-insurgency operations have continued to degrade terrorist capabilities through a combination of offensive manoeuvres, intelligence-driven strikes and population-centric stabilisation efforts.
In the North-West theatre, he noted, wide-ranging joint operations have intensified pressure on bandit groups, disrupted their logistics and financing networks, and strengthened the protection of vulnerable communities. Meanwhile, in the North-Central region, enduring stabilisation operations have focused on area domination, protection of civilians and the containment of communal and militia-related violence.
The COAS further highlighted the growing impact of advanced technologies, enhanced training regimes and deeper jointness with sister services in improving situational awareness, operational reach and mission effectiveness. He stressed that contemporary national security transcends territorial defence to encompass economic security, cyber resilience, environmental stability and human security.
According to him, enduring peace can only be achieved when military operations are reinforced by effective governance, justice delivery and inclusive socio-economic development.
Lieutenant General Shaibu urged participants of NDC Course 34, whom he described as Nigeria’s future strategic and operational leaders, to embrace integrated, forward-looking security frameworks that address both the immediate manifestations and underlying drivers of conflict.
He reassured Nigerians of the Nigerian Army’s steadfast resolve to defend national sovereignty, protect lives and property, and secure critical national infrastructure, even as threats continue to evolve in form and complexity.
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