By Augustine Ehikioya
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs) of the Nigerian Army to deepen and reinforce the warrior ethos as a strategic imperative for sustaining combat power, enhancing operational effectiveness and ensuring mission success across all formations and units of the Nigerian Army.
He gave the charge on Thursday, 7 May 2026, during the closing ceremony of the First Regimental Sergeant Majors’ Convention 2026 held at the JN Garba Hall, Postgraduate School, Old Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
The convention, themed “Empowering Regimental Sergeant Majors to Drive Combat Readiness and Professional Excellence,” provided a critical platform for professional engagement, exchange of operational experiences and strategic discourse focused on strengthening leadership capacity, mentorship culture and regimental standards in support of the transformation drive of the Nigerian Army.
In his address, according to a statement by Colonel Appolonia Anele, Acting Director Army Public Relations, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu highlighted the strategic importance of RSMs as custodians of discipline, regimentation and military tradition.
He stressed that their leadership influence remains vital in sustaining troop morale, operational cohesion and esprit de corps, particularly among personnel deployed across various theatres of operations.
He noted that the cultivation of a strong warrior ethos remains central to building resilient, disciplined and mission-oriented forces capable of effectively confronting emerging and asymmetric security threats.
The COAS further cautioned against the misuse of social media and other digital platforms, warning that unregulated online engagements could compromise operational security, undermine institutional integrity and negatively affect ongoing military operations.
He therefore urged RSMs to lead from the front by enforcing responsible digital conduct, strengthening information discipline and ensuring strict compliance with established communication protocols within their respective units and formations.
Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu also charged the senior non-commissioned officers to intensify mentorship and leadership guidance for younger soldiers in order to preserve regimental values, strengthen professionalism and promote ethical conduct at all levels of command responsibility.
He emphasised that effective mentorship remains critical to developing a highly motivated, combat-ready and professionally grounded force.
Earlier, the Chief of Administration (Army), Major General Isa Abdullahi, stated that the convention reflects the unwavering commitment of Nigerian Army to enhancing administrative efficiency, professional excellence and sustained operational readiness in line with the COAS’ command philosophy.
He urged participants to effectively translate the knowledge, experiences and strategic insights gained during the convention into improved troop welfare, discipline, regimentation and operational efficiency within their respective formations and units.
