The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu has unveiled a state-of-the-art Wargaming Centre at the Army War College Nigeria (AWCN), Asokoro, Abuja, in a significant step towards strengthening strategic planning, operational analysis and informed decision-making in addressing contemporary and emerging security challenges.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony on Thursday, the army chief stressed 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.

Wargaming is a simulation of conflict or strategy, usually used to explore decisions, test plans, and predict possible outcomes. It can mean military training exercises, but it also includes tabletop games and other strategic simulations.

Shaibu 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.

He 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.

Shaibu acknowledged the contributions of his predecessors, whose foresight and commitment laid the foundation for the realisation of the project, and 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.

The 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.

Earlier, the Commandant.Army War College Nigeria, Maj.-Gen. Umar Alkali, 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.

Alkali 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.

He added that beyond training and education, the Wargaming Centre is designed to support doctrine development, concept validation, operational research, and strategic-level analysis.