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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has challenged military strategists to develop practical solutions to the growing menace of mass abductions across Nigeria.
Shaibu gave the charge during the inauguration of the Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) Wargaming Centre in Abuja.
He tasked the college with deploying wargaming and strategic analysis tools to address the complex security challenge threatening communities and educational institutions.
According to him, mass abduction remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing and evolving security concerns.
“One of the critical tasks I would like to leave with the college is how this wargaming can help address multiple mass abductions across our expansive forested areas. This is an evolving security challenge in Nigeria,” he said.
The army chief noted that fear of kidnapping continues to discourage many parents from sending their children to school, particularly in rural communities.
He stressed that the challenge requires innovative solutions beyond conventional military responses.
Shaibu urged the college to examine how proposed state policing structures could affect security decision-making and response mechanisms nationwide.
He also called for studies on improving coordination among security agencies to ensure timely responses during kidnapping incidents.
“When we talk about rapid response, we must consider the assets required and how decisions are made at the strategic level.
“Test those options and bring forward solutions,” he said.
The COAS expressed confidence in the college’s capacity to generate actionable recommendations capable of strengthening national security efforts.
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He described wargaming as a critical tool for analysing complex operational problems and testing possible courses of action.
According to him, the process enables commanders to anticipate adversaries’ reactions and assess the consequences of decisions before deploying troops.
Shaibu said the newly inaugurated Wargaming Centre would support education, research, operational analysis, concept development and strategic decision-making.
He urged the Army War College to make the facility a centre of excellence for operational and strategic wargaming in Nigeria and across Africa.
Commandant of AWCN, Maj.-Gen. Umar Alkali, described the centre as a major milestone in strengthening professional military education.
According to him, the facility will help develop leaders capable of critical thinking, operational planning and effective decision-making in complex environments.
He said modern warfare demands leaders who can think beyond the battlefield and anticipate adversaries’ actions.
Director of War and Strategy, Brig.-Gen. Eyitayo Shoda, said the centre was conceived in response to the changing character of warfare globally.
According to him, wargaming has become an essential tool in advanced militaries because it exposes commanders to uncertainty, adversary reactions and complex decision-making environments.
Unlike conventional exercises, he said, wargaming places human judgment at the centre of operational planning.
Shoda added that AWCN has developed indigenous wargaming models focused on Nigeria’s security realities, including counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency and joint operations.
He disclosed that faculty members received specialised training in the United States and the United Kingdom to strengthen the college’s wargaming capability.
According to him, the centre will serve as a strategic platform for producing military leaders capable of anticipating threats rather than merely reacting to them.
