waidi shaibu biography

Waidi Shaibu

Early Life & Background

• He was born on 18 December 1971 in the Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria.
• He gained admission to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as a member of the 41-Regular Course in 1989.
• He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army’s Armour Corps on 17 September 1994, as a Second Lieutenan

Education & Professional Qualifications

Major General Shaibu is regarded as one of the more highly-qualified senior officers in terms of academic credentials:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Nigerian Defence Academy – 1993.
• Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
• Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Calabar.
• Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan.
• Master’s Degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the National Defence University, Washington D.C., USA.
• He attended the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (Programme in Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict & Courage).
• He is currently pursuing a PhD in Strategic Studies at the University of Ibadan (in view).

Military Career & Command Roles

• Over his career, Major General Shaibu has held various command, staff and instructional appointments, many of which involved operations, counter-insurgency and armoured warfare.
• He served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army, located in Maiduguri (Maimalari Cantonment) and headed operations in the North East.
• He was Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force (Northern East) under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) that tackled insurgency, particularly Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North-East.
• His appointment as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) came on 24 October 2025 when he was named by the President of Nigeria.

Operational Highlights

• During his command of OPHK and in the North East theatre, his leadership has been credited with a series of strategic operations: deep-clearance of insurgent enclaves (e.g., in the Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuktu Triangle) and working on civil-military coordination and reintegration of surrendered insurgents.
• He emphasised the refurbishment and deployment of armoured vehicles, improved ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) missions, and local community policing frameworks to enhance civilian cooperation and trust.

Personal Attributes & Significance

• Major General Shaibu is recognized for blending academic depth with operational experience — which is somewhat rare in senior Nigerian Army ranks.
• His agreement to engage community-based initiatives in conflict zones is a hallmark of his approach, not only kinetic operations.
• His appointment as COAS marks a critical juncture in Nigeria’s security architecture, given the pressing insurgency challenges and the need for leadership with both strategic and tactical grasp.

Summary

Major General Waidi Shaibu is a senior Nigerian Army officer born in 1971 in Kogi State, with a rich educational background in engineering, administration and strategic studies. Committed to professional military education and counter-insurgency operations, he rose through key command roles including 7th Division and theatre command in the North East, culminating in his appointment as Chief of Army Staff in October 2025.