By Kingsley Omonobi
ABUJA — The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), has charged graduands of the Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) to translate the knowledge acquired during their nine-month professional military training into decisive action to strengthen national security and end insecurity.
Musa gave the charge on Friday, October 16, 2026, at the graduation ceremony of 99 participants of Course 10/2026 of the Army War College Nigeria in Abuja, where he served as Special Guest of Honour.
He said the true measure of their training would be their ability to deliver tangible results on the battlefield and improve the country’s security situation.
“Go out to the field and make the difference,” the minister charged the officers.
Recalling President Bola Tinubu’s directive at a recent National Security Council meeting that the fight against insecurity must not extend into a third decade, Musa urged the graduating officers to demonstrate the discipline, commitment and operational effectiveness required to achieve lasting results.
He reaffirmed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remained professional and committed to their constitutional mandates.
The minister also stressed that hard work, dedication, integrity and proven performance must remain the basis for career advancement in the military.
He said only officers who demonstrated commitment and integrity should be entrusted with higher responsibilities, citing the career progression of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, as an example.
On modern warfare, Musa said military success no longer depended solely on the possession of expensive equipment, pointing to ongoing conflicts around the world as evidence of the growing importance of innovation and adaptability.
He urged all departments of the Armed Forces to embrace technological changes to improve operational effectiveness, stressing that innovation should not be regarded as the exclusive responsibility of engineers.
The defence minister also called on the military to support peaceful, safe and credible elections in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies.
He said such collaboration was necessary to protect citizens from intimidation and prevent individuals or groups from undermining the electoral process.
Earlier, the Commandant of the Army War College Nigeria, Major General Umar Alkali, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to producing competent military leaders capable of addressing the country’s evolving security challenges.
Alkali said participants of Course 10/2026 had completed 37 weeks of intensive professional military education, recording milestones that included the participation of the first female officers and the highest number of allied participants since the college’s establishment.
He identified indigenous technological innovation and inter-agency cooperation as critical to improving military effectiveness.
The commandant urged the graduands to uphold professionalism, integrity and sound judgment in advancing Nigeria’s national security objectives.
Highlights of the ceremony included the presentation of fellowship awards to the 99 graduands by the defence minister, as well as certificates and other awards.
A wounded officer among the graduands also received a special souvenir and a N5 million token in recognition of his courage.
The Chief of Army Staff presented merit awards, while the President of the Alumni Association of the Army War College Nigeria, Brigadier General O.A. Ogunleye (Rtd), formally inducted the graduands into the association.
The event also featured the unveiling and launch of the Army War College Nigeria journal, magazine and books, alongside the presentation of awards to distinguished eminent fellows and souvenirs to the special guest of honour.
Among the graduands were allied military officers from African countries, including South Africa and Cameroon.
The ceremony was attended by the Director, Army, Ministry of Defence, senior military officers, members of the diplomatic corps and other dignitaries.
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