President Bola Tinubu has hailed the importance of documenting Buratai’s tenure as Army Chief, saying preserved institutional experiences can provide valuable lessons for future generations and policymakers.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stressed the importance of documenting the experiences of national institutions and their leaders, saying preserved institutional knowledge can provide valuable lessons for future generations.
Tinubu made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja in a speech delivered on his behalf by Mrs Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens, Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
He spoke at the public presentation of Military Transformational Leadership in Action: The Buratai Era, authored by Dr M.S. Abubakar.
The event, held at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites, Asokoro, Abuja, examined the leadership decisions, institutional reforms and security challenges associated with the tenure of retired Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai as Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021.
Tinubu said the publication was particularly relevant as Nigeria continued to confront terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, violent criminality, oil theft and other security threats.
He described the book as more than a record of Buratai’s tenure, saying it contributed to discussions on military leadership, institutional reform and national security.
According to the President, Buratai and the officers and men who served under him operated during a particularly challenging period marked by terrorism, insurgency and other asymmetric threats.
He said the security environment placed significant demands on the Armed Forces, particularly the Nigerian Army, requiring leadership, discipline, courage, innovation and adaptability.
Tinubu said his administration was strengthening intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, surveillance, logistics and the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government was developing a comprehensive national threat assessment and a rolling five-year strategic defence operations plan, alongside investments in modern equipment, technology and personnel development.
The President acknowledged the sacrifices of soldiers, airmen and women, police officers and other security personnel serving across the country under difficult conditions.
He also commended the families of personnel who had lost their lives in service to the nation.
The Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), described Buratai’s tenure as one marked by reforms in training, equipment, welfare and professionalism within the Nigerian Army.
Musa, who served under Buratai, said he was a direct beneficiary of reforms associated with the former Army Chief’s tenure. He also highlighted Buratai’s efforts to identify and develop officers who later rose to senior positions in the Armed Forces.
The minister urged military personnel, students and policymakers to study the publication and draw lessons from its account of leadership, institutional development and national service.
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, said Nigeria needed to examine the deeper causes of insecurity while responding to immediate security threats.
Sanusi argued that the country’s security challenges predated the emergence of banditry and terrorism and linked part of the problem to the politicisation of ethnicity and religion.
He called for greater national unity and urged institutions such as the military, police, judiciary and media to maintain professionalism and resist excessive political influence.
Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, said security should be treated as a collective Nigerian responsibility rather than an issue associated with a particular region or religion.
“It is not a Northern problem. It is not a Muslim problem. It is not a Christian problem. It is a Nigerian problem,” Ndume said.
The author, Abubakar, said he spent about 10 years researching and documenting the book, beginning in 2016 while observing the war against Boko Haram insurgency.
He described the publication as a leadership document rather than a praise book, saying it examined reforms and operational experiences during Buratai’s tenure.
The book covers reforms in areas including troop welfare, the Nigerian Army University Biu, resource centres, manufacturing complexes and the combination of kinetic operations with non-kinetic measures such as human rights desks, medical outreaches and civil-military engagement.
Abubakar said documenting institutional experiences was important because failure to preserve such knowledge could result in future generations repeating past mistakes.
Former Vatican Gendarmerie commander Lt.-Gen. Domenico Giani, who was among the speakers at the event, similarly stressed the importance of institutional learning and broader cooperation in addressing modern security threats.
Buratai, the honouree, thanked the author and the organisers for documenting his years as Army Chief and acknowledged the support of his family, colleagues and associates.
The public presentation brought together serving and retired military officers, government officials, traditional rulers, academics, policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss military leadership, institutional reform, national security and the preservation of Nigeria’s security history.
The event reinforced calls for Nigeria to preserve institutional experiences not only as historical records but also as resources for research, policymaking and the development of future security leaders.
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