Buratai Developed Future Military Leaders, Defence Minister Says

 

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has praised the leadership of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), saying his tenure was characterised by deliberate efforts to develop future military leaders and strengthen the Nigerian Army.

Musa stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled Military Transformational Leadership in Action: The Buratai Era, which chronicles Buratai’s tenure as Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021.

The Defence Minister said Buratai led the Army at a particularly challenging period in Nigeria’s security history, when the military was confronting insurgency and other complex security threats.

According to him, Buratai combined battlefield engagement with institutional reforms in areas including training, equipment, welfare and professionalism.

Musa, who described himself as a beneficiary of Buratai’s leadership, said one of the former Army Chief’s significant contributions was his ability to identify and nurture officers who later rose to senior positions in the military.

He noted that several officers who served under Buratai subsequently became service chiefs and occupied other strategic positions in the Armed Forces.

The minister also recalled Buratai’s frequent visits to troops and operational areas in the North-East, saying the former Army Chief demonstrated commitment to the welfare of soldiers and the counter-insurgency campaign.

Musa said the book was therefore more than a record of Buratai’s career, describing it as an account of how leadership, institutional reforms and strategic decisions could shape an organisation.

The Defence Minister urged serving military personnel, researchers and policymakers to study the publication and draw lessons from the experiences documented in it.

The book, authored by Dr. M. S. Abubakar, examines leadership decisions, institutional reforms and security challenges during Buratai’s tenure, including the military’s response to insurgency and terrorism in the North-East.

Speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mrs Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens, President Bola Tinubu also stressed the importance of documenting the experiences of national institutions and their leaders.

Tinubu said such documentation would help preserve institutional memory and provide lessons for future generations.

The President said the country’s evolving security environment required continuous improvement in intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, surveillance, logistics and operational capabilities.

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, who also spoke at the event, said Nigeria’s security challenges could not be addressed through military operations alone.

Sanusi called for stronger institutions and greater attention to the social, economic and political factors contributing to insecurity.

He also cautioned against the politicization of key national institutions, stressing the importance of professionalism and long-term planning in the security sector.

Also speaking, Senator Ali Ndume said security should be treated as a collective national responsibility, urging political leaders, citizens and security agencies to work together in addressing the country’s challenges.

The author, Abubakar, said the book was the product of about 10 years of research, interviews and documentation.

He said the publication was not intended as a praise document but as a leadership study examining the decisions, reforms and institutional responses during one of the most demanding periods in the history of the Nigerian Army.

Abubakar said documenting such experiences was necessary to preserve institutional knowledge and enable future leaders to study what worked, what did not and what lessons should endure.

Buratai, who served as Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, expressed appreciation to the author and the organisers for documenting his tenure.

The event was attended by serving and retired military officers, traditional rulers, diplomats, academics and other stakeholders who reflected on military leadership, institutional development and Nigeria’s security challenges.