Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) has hosted the Seventh Edition of the Nigerian Civil War Symposium for the participants of Higher Military Strategy and Management Course 10/2026. The insightful symposium took place at the TY Buratai Auditorium of the College in Asokoro, Abuja, on 25 May 2025.
A statement signed by Major Cornelius Gutus college public relations officer said the symposium was themed _“Indigenous Technological Innovations in the Nigerian Civil War: Lessons for Contemporary Military Operations,”_ was aimed at drawing lessons on strategy, ingenuity, resilience, and application of indigenous technology by the fighting force and their relevance to contemporary military operations.
In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, said the Civil War remains a defining episode in Nigeria’s history offering enduring lessons beyond strategy and operations.
The COAS, represented by the Deputy Director General, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Major General Victor Emah said the War underscores the reality that operational success is not solely dependent on sophisticated platforms, but also on the ability of commanders and troops to innovate, adapt, and effectively utilise available resources.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to boosting local content to address security challenges, adding that the Army will continue to promote research and development, encourage creative problem-solving, and strengthen collaboration with local industries, academia, and research institutions. He added that “by harnessing indigenous technological innovations, we can develop operationally-relevant solutions that will enhance our combat readiness.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commandant AWCN, Major General Umar Alkali, quoting Lieutenant General TY Danjuma said, “the Nigerian Civil War must be studied so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and future generations understand the price of disunity.”
He emphasized that the war remains one of the most defining events in Nigeria’s history, noting that while it was a period of pain, it also offers lessons in national unity, leadership, and post-conflict reconciliation. The symposium, he said, was included in the College’s Military History Module to learn from the past so that we can protect the future.
Major General Alkali said the choice of the theme was deliberate, focusing on operational-level leadership and indigenous innovation such as the production of locally made OGBUNIGWE weapons employed during the Civil War. He added that the symposium aligns with the COAS command philosophy _“To advance the transformation of the Nigerian Army into a more professional, adaptable, combat-ready and resilient force…_ particularly its fifth pillar of exemplary leadership”
Delivering his lecture, the Guest Lecturer, Professor CBN Ogbogbo, Vice Chancellor Admiralty University of Nigeria, Asaba, Delta State, examined indigenous technological innovations in the Civil War and their lessons for modern military operations. Citing Sun Tzu, he stressed that forces that are able to innovate locally in the face of adversity have a better chance of surviving.
He noted that academia played a key role during the war as innovators and inventors and stressed the need to place experts in roles that match their skills; square pegs in square holes.
