Nigerian Army Unveils Strategic Wargaming Centre To Enhance Training, National Security
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has unveiled another state-of-the-art Wargaming Centre at the Army War College Nigeria (AWCN), Asokoro, Abuja, in a significant step toward strengthening strategic planning, operational analysis and informed decision-making in addressing contemporary and emerging security challenges.
The commissioning ceremony, held on 25 June 2026, underscores the Nigerian Army’s unwavering commitment to building a highly professional, adaptive and cimbat-ready force capable of effectively contributing to national security and defence objectives.
In his remarks, the COAS described the facility as a major investment in professional military education and institutional capacity development. He emphasized that the increasingly complex and dynamic security environment demands commanders who are not only courageous on the battlefield but also intellectually agile, strategically minded and capable of making sound decisions under pressure. He noted that wargaming remains a critical tool for developing such competencies, as it enables military leaders to anticipate threats, evaluate options and formulate effective responses to complex security scenarios before they arise.
Lieutenant General Shaibu further stated that the Wargaming Centre will serve as a strategic hub for developing innovative solutions to national security challenges by providing a platform for rigorous analysis, operational experimentation, and joint planning. He acknowledged the contributions of his predecessors, whose foresight and commitment laid the foundation for the realization of the project. He commended the Commandant of AWCN and members of the faculty for proactively acquiring advanced wargaming expertise through engagements with allied military institutions, even prior to the completion of the facility.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Commandant AWCN, Major General Umar Alkali, expressed profound appreciation to the COAS for his unwavering support toward the completion and equipping of the Centre with modern wargaming infrastructure. He stated that the facility will provide a realistic and intellectually stimulating environment where participants can test campaign plans, evaluate force employment concepts, explore alternative courses of action and assess the implications of strategic decisions through both manual and computer-assisted wargames.
He further explained that the Centre will facilitate the integration of land, maritime, air, cyber and information domains into joint operational scenarios, thereby enhancing interoperability and jointness within the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Commandant added that, beyond training and education, the Wargaming Centre is designed to support doctrine development, concept validation, operational research, and strategic-level analysis. The newly commissioned facility comprises two large wargaming halls, four exercise rooms, three theatre laboratories, ten syndicate rooms, a conference room, a library, a digital server room and other supporting infrastructure.
As a centre of excellence, the facility is expected to significantly enhance the Nigerian Army’s ability to anticipate future threats, develop effective response options, and contribute meaningfully to the attainment of Nigeria’s national security objectives.
