COAS Lagbaja Urges Army Officers to Strive for Zero Margin of Failure
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has called on officers of the Nigerian Army to maintain a near-zero margin for operational failure in their leadership roles.
He made the call during the graduation ceremony of the Leadership and Strategic Studies Course 2/2023, organised by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) in Abuja on Friday.
Lagbaja emphasized that the course, a blend of professional and academic training, is a career-defining programme aimed at preparing direct regular officers of the Nigerian Army for future assignments both in and out of uniform.
He noted that participants have no excuse to fall short of expectations, citing that past graduates of the course had proven its value.
“The participants have no excuse to fall short of expectations in the field as those who graduated last course have proven beyond reasonable doubt that the course package is rich and worth the investment,” Lagbaja said.
He further described the course as a senior-level programme that mirrors the training Regular Combatant officers receive at the National Defence College.
Over the last 11 months, the participants’ capacity in areas such as policy analysis, argumentation, and evaluation had been significantly enhanced, along with their research skills in leadership and strategic studies.
Lagbaja highlighted the Nigerian Army’s deliberate investment in developing strategic leaders who can think critically and make informed decisions in today’s complex operational environment.
“The political and economic reality of present-day Nigeria requires senior leaders to be ingenious in employing available resources—human and material—to fulfil operational objectives,” he stated.
He warned that any gap in understanding how the army functions within the broader Nigerian system could lead to operational failure, which would be unacceptable.
“This, therefore, leaves you with near-zero margin for failure,” Lagbaja added.
The COAS stressed that the military’s efficiency is built over time through defined policies, focused investments, and continuous training, all of which are central to his command philosophy.
He reaffirmed that the Army Headquarters would continue to upgrade facilities at NARC while enhancing the welfare of staff and participants.
Retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, Director General of NARC, noted that the course was designed to provide operational-level officers with a level playing field.
He highlighted that the focus on combatant courses aimed to raise awareness, training, and proficiency among direct regular officers.
Addressing the security challenges in the country, Wahab said: “Tackling security challenges is not a sole agency’s responsibility; it is everybody’s job. They must have an open mind to want to relate with everybody who matters.”
The Nigerian Army Resource Centre also graduated participants from the Leadership Development Skills Course 10 for non-commissioned officers, junior, and mid-level officers.