By ZAKAA LAZARUS
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Major General Waidi Shaibu as the Chief of Army Staff on October 24, 2025, he handed the colours of the Nigerian Army to one of its most battle-tested, intellectually grounded and institutionally respected officers.
One year on, that choice has been vindicated on the battlefield, in the barracks, and in the renewed confidence of the force.
This is a well-deserved felicitation to one of Nigeria finest officer.
Born on December 18, 1971, in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, North Central Nigeria, Waidi Shaibu enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1989 as a member of the 41st Regular Course. He was commissioned into the elite Nigerian Army Armoured Corps in 1994.
What followed has been over three decades of unbroken service defined by three pillars: combat leadership, academic depth, and strategic vision.
Lt Gen Shaibu is not just a field commander; he is a scholar-warrior.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the NDA, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Calabar, a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan, and a Master’s in Security and Strategic Studies from the National Defence University, Washington D.C., USA. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and holds a Postgraduate Certificate from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
His military training spans the globe:
Young Officers Course Armour, Bauchi; Junior Staff Course, Ghana; Senior Staff Course, Jaji; Defence Resources Management Course, Kenya; Higher Defence Management Course, National Defence College, Abuja; and the Counter-Terrorism Fellows Programme, College of International Security Affairs, Washington D.C.
From the platoon to Theatre Command, Shaibu has seen it all.
His operational experience includes: Operation Harmony, Operation Boyona, Operation Zaman Lafiya, Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Tura Takaibango, Operation HADIN KAI, Operation Desert Sanity and Lake Sanity, as well as international assignments in the African Mission in Sudan, United Nations Mission in Liberia, and Nigeria’s Foreign Training Assistance Mission to Liberia.
His key appointments tell the story of a rising professional:
– Platoon Commander, 245 Recce Battalion
– Chief of Staff, 23 Brigade, Yola
– Chief Instructor, Nigerian Army Armour School
– Director, Coordination and Directing Staff, National Defence College, Abuja
– Commander, 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Bama – the heart of the insurgency
– General Officer Commanding, 7 Division / Commander Sector 1, Operation HADIN KAI, Maiduguri
– Chief of Training, Army Headquarters
– Deputy Commandant / Director of Studies, National Defence College
– Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI
As Theatre Commander, he led decisive operations that degraded terrorist capabilities – neutralising over 567 terrorists, recovering 492 weapons and over 10,700 rounds of ammunition, and rescuing over 2,225 civilians from enclaves. It was a tenure noted for enhanced ground-air synergy and improved troop welfare.
Shaibu’s leadership style blends kinetic force with non-kinetic wisdom – community engagement, de-radicalisation, and civil-military trust. This was evident when he engaged the Shehu of Borno and traditional councils to strengthen intelligence and community cooperation.
A highly decorated officer, his honours include the Distinguished Service Star (DSS), Meritorious Service Star, Forces Service Star, Distinguished Service Order (Liberia), Foreign Training Assistance Medal, Command Medal, Field Command Medal, Field Command Medal of Honour, and the Purple Heart Medal for gallantry in counter-insurgency operations in the North East.
Today as Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu is leading a larger, better-structured, more technologically aware and soldier-focused Army, anchored on professionalism, discipline and offensive initiative.
On behalf of Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, we felicitate with you, Sir.
Congratulations on a remarkable first year of purposeful leadership. May your tenure consolidate operational gains, restore lasting peace, and secure Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Nigeria salutes you.
