A New Battle Doctrine Nigeria Army Unveils PROSE Strategy to Tackle Rising Threats

For many Nigerians, the sound of gunfire has replaced the comfort of quiet nights. From insurgency in the North East to banditry in the North West and separatist violence in the South East, insecurity has shaped daily life. But on February 25 2026, at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji Kaduna, a different message emerged one centered on reform and reinvention.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, unveiled a sweeping Command Philosophy aimed at transforming the Nigerian Army into a highly professional agile combat effective and resilient force. Addressing senior officers, Shaibu acknowledged the growing complexity of Nigeria security landscape, warning that traditional responses are no longer sufficient for modern threats.

Central to his vision is PROSE Professional Excellence Robust Administration Operational Readiness Strategic Cooperation and Exemplary Leadership. Beyond an acronym, PROSE represents a structural and cultural reset. At its core lies a Soldier First Culture focused on morale welfare and leadership grounded in character courage and accountability.

Shaibu emphasized enhanced intelligence surveillance target acquisition reconnaissance and cyber operations, noting that future battlefields extend beyond forests and highways into digital space. Training will undergo radical reform with expanded Special Forces capacity mission specific drills and strengthened Army Aviation.

Recent operations suggest early momentum. Troops under Operation FANSAN YAMMA neutralized notorious bandit leader Gwaska Dan Marni in the North West, disrupting coordinated attacks on communities. In Anambra State, a Joint Task Force repelled suspected IPOB ESN operatives and rescued kidnapped civilians, restoring calm along a critical corridor.

Shaibu has pledged loyalty to Bola Tinubu while calling for sustained modernization support. For citizens weary of conflict, the success of this doctrine will not be measured in speeches but in safer roads restored farms and renewed public confidence.