New Book Explores Buratai's Leadership Reforms Amid Nigeria's Security Challenges

Linus Aleke in Abuja

Dr Mohammed Abubakar’s new book provides a scholarly review of the leadership reforms and institutional changes carried out in the Nigerian Army while Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd) served as Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, a time characterized by insurgency, banditry and broad security challenges.

Titled Military Transformational Leadership in Action: The Buratai Era and published by Sprezzatura Publishing Ltd, the book examines what the author calls “transformational leadership in action,” concentrating on how military doctrine, training, troop welfare, morale, logistics and civil‑military relations were deliberately restructured to address Nigeria’s changing security environment.

Using military records, policy documents, interviews and extensive analysis, Dr Abubakar investigates three main areas: the adaptation of the Nigerian Army’s operational doctrine to counter asymmetric threats from Boko Haram and ISWAP; reforms in training, logistics, equipment and command structures aimed at creating a more professional and responsive force; and the influence of leadership decisions on troop morale, regimentation and public trust.

According to the author, the Buratai era serves as a case study in crisis leadership, highlighting the choices, innovations, trade‑offs and lessons that can guide future military and national leaders. He argues that the period’s lessons extend beyond the battlefield, offering insights into institution‑building, sustaining morale under pressure, reforming systems during crises and strengthening public confidence in state institutions.

Dr Abubakar also notes that the book offers a valuable resource for students of leadership, governance and security studies who wish to understand how leadership is tested during times of national uncertainty.

The book will be formally presented on 16 September 2026 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, during an academic forum that will feature retired senior military officers and professors who will critically examine its findings and draw lessons for Nigeria’s security sector and leadership development.