New book examines Buratai-era military reforms, leadership in Nigerian Army

A new book examining military leadership, institutional reforms and the Nigerian Army during the tenure of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai (rtd), is set for public presentation in Abuja on September 16, 2026.

Titled Military Transformational Leadership in Action: The Buratai Era, the book was written by Dr M. S. Abubakar and explores leadership decisions, institutional changes and security challenges that characterised Buratai’s years at the helm of the Army.

The presentation is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites, Asokoro, Abuja.

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It is being organised by the Buratai Legacy Presentation Committee, with Sprezzatura Publishing Limited in collaboration with Clarivox Creative Limited.

According to the organisers, the publication seeks to contribute to discussions around military leadership and institutional development at a time when Nigeria and other African countries continue to confront evolving security threats and questions about how their armed forces should adapt to increasingly complex operating environments.

Abubakar said the book was not intended simply as an account of an individual military command but as an examination of the relationship between leadership, institutional transformation and national security.

“The central purpose of this book is to examine leadership in action: how decisions, reforms and institutional responses were shaped by the realities confronting the Nigerian Army during a particularly demanding period in the country’s security history,” Abubakar said.

“While the Buratai era provides the principal case study, the wider questions raised by the book are relevant beyond one individual or institution. How do military organisations respond to rapidly changing threats? What role does leadership play in institutional adaptation? And what lessons can policymakers and security professionals draw from that experience? These are some of the questions the book seeks to interrogate.”

Buratai served as Chief of Army Staff during a period in which the Nigerian military faced major security challenges, particularly the insurgency and counterterrorism campaign in the North-East.

The book examines that period through the framework of transformational military leadership, looking at the relationship between command decisions, institutional development and operational demands.

According to Abubakar, the publication is targeted at military professionals, policymakers, researchers, students of strategic and security studies, as well as readers interested in military leadership and institutional change.

The presentation is expected to attract serving and retired military officers, government officials, diplomats, traditional rulers, academics and other stakeholders.

Organisers listed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Special Guest of Honour, while Alhaji Umaru Abdul Mutallab is expected to chair the occasion.

Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (rtd), is scheduled to serve as book presenter, while businessman and Chairman of Max Air, Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal, is listed as co-chief launcher.

Maj Gen I. D. Penap (rtd) is expected to review the book.

The organisers also listed the service chiefs, including Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, among expected special guests.

Traditional rulers listed for the presentation include the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Hameed Oyelude Makama Tegbosun III; and other traditional leaders.

The programme will also feature a panel discussion involving Amina-Akano Bello, Maj Gen Victor Ezegwu (rtd), Rear Admiral Adamu Biu (rtd), Prof Phillip Dahida and the author.

Abubakar said one of the purposes of the book was to preserve institutional experience while encouraging critical examination of Nigeria’s military development.

“Security institutions evolve partly by examining their own experiences: what worked, what did not, what changed and what lessons should endure. My hope is that this book encourages serious discussion about military leadership, institutional memory and the future development of Nigeria’s security architecture,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer of Clarivox Creative Limited, Segun Adeyemi, said documenting significant periods in the country’s institutional history could provide material for research, debate and future policymaking.

“Serious documentation provides a basis for interrogation, learning and informed debate. A publication of this nature gives military professionals, researchers, policymakers and the wider public an opportunity to examine an important period in Nigeria’s security history and consider the lessons it may hold for the future,” Adeyemi said.

The organisers said the September 16 presentation would provide an opportunity for participants to examine the arguments presented in the book and discuss broader questions around leadership, institutional reform and the development of Nigeria’s security sector.