Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), has charged graduating officers of the Army War College Nigeria to turn their training into decisive action that strengthens national security and brings insecurity to an end.
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Musa spoke on Friday in Abuja at the graduation of 99 participants of Course 10/2026 of the Army War College Nigeria, where he was Special Guest of Honour. The remarks were reported by Vanguard News.
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Musa’s charge to the officers
The minister said the true measure of the nine-month professional training would be the officers’ ability to deliver tangible results in the field and improve the country’s security situation. He recalled President Bola Tinubu’s directive at a recent National Security Council meeting that the fight against insecurity must not drag into a third decade, and urged the graduands to show the discipline, commitment and operational effectiveness needed for lasting results.
On modern warfare, Musa said military success no longer rests only on expensive equipment, pointing to conflicts elsewhere in the world as proof that innovation and adaptability matter more than ever. He urged all departments of the Armed Forces to embrace technological change and said innovation should not be left to engineers alone. He also called on the military to work with the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies to support peaceful, safe and credible elections, protecting citizens from intimidation and preventing any individual or group from undermining the process.
The Commandant of the college, Major General Umar Alkali, said the participants completed 37 weeks of intensive professional military education, with milestones including the first female officers on the course and the highest number of allied participants since the college was established. He named indigenous technological innovation and inter-agency cooperation as critical to military effectiveness. Fellowship awards were presented to the 99 graduands, and a wounded officer among them received a special souvenir and a N5 million token in recognition of his courage. The Chief of Army Staff presented merit awards, the alumni association inducted the graduands, and the college unveiled its journal, magazine and books. Allied officers from African countries, including South Africa and Cameroon, were among the graduates.
Musa’s statements are directives and expectations set out at a ceremony, not an assessment of current security conditions or a timeline backed by operational data. The report does not say what specific measures or targets will define the end of insecurity, or how the “third decade” directive will be measured. As the country moves toward the 2027 elections, the military’s role in both counter-insecurity operations and election security is likely to stay in focus.
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