By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja
The Defence Headquarters Nigeria (DHQ) has concluded a four-day Capacity Building and Regional Doctrine Workshop aimed at strengthening operational doctrine and improving regional military cooperation.
The workshop, organised by the Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre, was held at the Army War College Nigeria in Abuja and brought together participants from Nigeria and several West African countries.
Delivering closing remarks on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal FO Edosa, described the establishment of the doctrine centre as a decisive move to reinforce Nigeria’s sovereignty and boost the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He said the strong participation of national and regional partners underscored a shared commitment to strengthening doctrinal frameworks in response to evolving and complex security threats.
He specifically acknowledged delegations from Ghana, The Gambia, Senegal and Sierra Leone, as well as support from the British Defence Staff (West Africa), including Defence Attaché Colonel George Wilson, for facilitating resource persons.
According to the CDS, military doctrine remains the intellectual foundation of operations, stressing that ideas generated during the workshop must be refined into formal doctrinal publications to guide strategy, policy formulation and operational planning.
He expressed confidence that the sessions had equipped participants with the technical knowledge required to advance doctrine development in their respective countries.
Oluyede also commended the presence of the ECOWAS team and its ongoing efforts to strengthen the regional standby force, noting that sustained international collaboration is vital for collective security. He further praised the leadership and personnel of the doctrine centre for the progress achieved within six months of its operationalisation.
In his earlier welcome address, the Director-General of the doctrine centre, AE Edet, described the workshop as a strategic programme designed to fulfil the centre’s mandate of developing operational doctrines to help the Armed Forces address contemporary security challenges.
Edet explained that the programme was structured in two phases, with the first segment dedicated to Nigerian participants and the latter sessions involving regional personnel. The goal, he said, was to build a highly skilled tri-service pool of doctrine writers, editors and validators capable of harmonising joint warfare concepts across the services.
He thanked the Chief of Defence Staff for providing the leadership that enabled the programme and acknowledged the support of the British Defence Staff (West Africa) for providing United Kingdom resource persons, alongside contributions from retired senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The successful conclusion of the workshop marks another milestone in DHQ’s drive to strengthen joint doctrine development, deepen regional military partnerships and enhance the overall readiness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
