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Like Buratai Like Napoleon Bonaparte

Published

6 years ago

June 1, 2020

By Mike Msuaan

History is replete with accounts of wars right from the divinely sanctioned wars fought by the Israelites and their enemies to conquests carried out by world powers like the Ottoman Turks, the Christian Crusaders, the Romans and lots more. The greed for wealth and power inherent in man has always fuelled wars both for territorial expansion and the exploitation of resources in captured lands and territories. However, victory in any war is a product of the commander’s mastery of the art of war without which a humiliating defeat awaits him and his troops.

Warfare like every human endeavour has evolved progressively in line with the technology at that time. From the discovery of iron to the industrial and the technological era, wars have shifted from the use of arrows and spears and horses to the use of guns and heavy artillery to the use of bomber jets and automatic gun power to the use of robots, drones and bombs of different capacities and reach. Although so much technology has been used in warfare, nothing meaningful can be achieved if the soldiers in the battle front are ill-trained and in the hands of an inefficient commander.

Prominent war veterans like Napoleon Bonaparte who led the French in different outings and won victories accordingly to the infamous Adolf Hitler to the Chinese war veteran Sun Tzu to all the commanders of the holy wars and crusades to the veterans of the First and Second World War and modern wars in recent times, all had in mind the same objective of victory. However, what distinguished them either in the face of victory or defeat is their style of leadership as well as tactical and strategic skills in warfare.

One such professional and gentlemanly commander in the Nigerian army is the current Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, a fine and courageous officer whose training both in Nigeria and elsewhere has made him the best among his peers. Like every good commander who leads from the front, Buratai has shown dexterity only comparable to legends like Napoleon Bonaparte in the fight against insurgents and terrorists elements in Nigeria especially in the North East.

As an illustrious son of the Borno empire, it will not be an exaggeration to say that he takes over from his forbearers who were themselves great warriors albeit their lack of sophistication as is been demonstrated by their son in modern day Nigeria. His gallantry is significant especially as the rogue elements terrorizing the country have chosen his state of origin to display their cowardice and show of shame. Giving them a pound of their flesh is therefore this gentleman’s sole preoccupation and true to his words, the terrorists are scrambling to surrender and give up their evil and barbaric ways.

Nigeria has been taunted as a home of generals who have not seen the battle field except for the simulations they watch in the comforts of their training rooms, but this is not the case with TY Buratai. Deciding to prove average Nigerians that he is different has been a great blessing to Nigeria as a country who, for more than 10 years has been embarrassed and humiliated ill trained terrorist who have evaded successive commanders especially those who commandeered the war from the comforts of their offices in Abuja.

He has a carefully crafted war strategy and way of approaching which has served to change the perception of Nigerian troops in the eyes of their neighbours from people known with humiliating defeats to a force to reckon with. As a onetime commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTFH), he is aware of the challenges of the fight against terror and has done everything to bring that experience to bear on his current job with outstanding successes. Needless to say that, the dramatic change in the dynamics of the fight against terror is made possible thanks to the skilfulness and gallantry of TY Buratai.

Immediately after his appointed, he jetted out to the North East and began his historic assignment to Nigeria. It was in the North East that he unveiled the mission and vision for the Nigerian Army under his watch and also changed the name of Operation Zaman Lafiya to Operation Lafiya Dole as well as the establishment of other overt and covert operations he established to facilitate the war against terror. He could have sat in Abuja, enjoying all the good things his highly exalted office can provide leaving his subordinates to do the fighting since he has put the necessary strategies in place but he has decided to brave it himself. That’s how a good commander should go.

The Nigerian Army under the watch of Buratai has done much more than fighting and killing. This is because insurgency as is done in the North East of Nigeria a delicate activity which is done among civilian populations. Approach it from a soldiers point of view only did not yield the desired results so diplomacy and human feelings were introduced to win trust of the people and cushion the effects of terror on the affected people.

Relocating to the North East has shown that while others are running away, the army chief has taken upon himself the task of making sure the North East is cleared of all renegades whose stock in trade is to cause havoc and deny the region of quality development.

It is worthy of note that the army chief has not usurped the powers of the operational commanders but has undertaken to periodically visit them and encourage them as they administer their combat units to ensure professionalism at all time. This has helped in no small measure in ensuring smooth and coordinated operations and hence the victory.

As a seasoned scholar in military warfare, Buratai has not disappointed his alumni’s from where the history and art of war has been so generously bequeathed on him. As a historian, he has read and understood war and the best way to fight it both as it was in the ancient era and in modern warfare which is multifaceted and filled with propaganda.

In modern warfare, fighting the enemy alone is not enough as there are many online bullies and other virtual entities that profit over the war efforts and can do anything to discredit ones efforts so as to prolong human misery for selfish gains. This is made worse in the era of social media where mischief makers turn themselves into half-baked journalists with the sole intent to misinform and harm all positive efforts in bringing normalcy. This strategy, although deployed from all angles has not deterred the army chief from doing his job with glaring results for all to see.

Buratai has written his name in history as the Napoleon of the Nigerian fight against insurgents as the first courageous army chief to sacrifice his comfort for the victory of his dear country. He has chosen to use his training to improve the professional conduct of Nigeria troops and his must be kind to him.

Msuaan, a public affairs commentator writes from Kaduna.

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Business

Turning Africa’s Raw Materials Into Wealth: The ARMS 2026 Industrial Agenda

Published

3 days ago

September 29, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

For decades, Africa’s vast natural resources have powered industries and economies far beyond the continent, while many African countries have remained largely exporters of unprocessed commodities and importers of finished products.

That familiar pattern is now coming under renewed scrutiny as policymakers, researchers, investors and industrialists seek to change the direction of Africa’s resource economy.

At the centre of that conversation is the second edition of the Africa Raw Materials Summit (ARMS 2026), scheduled for October 19 and 20 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, under the theme: “From African Feedstock to African Factories.”

Organised by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), the summit is being positioned as more than another gathering of policymakers and industry stakeholders. It is intended to provide a platform for confronting the structural challenges that have kept African raw materials largely disconnected from local manufacturing.

Africa has for years operated largely within a “pit-to-port” economic model, exporting raw materials while importing expensive finished products.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the summit on Tuesday in Abuja, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, said the event would bring together policymakers, investors, researchers, technology providers and industrialists to develop practical strategies for transforming Africa’s abundant natural resources into industrial wealth.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply the abundance of resources, but the continent’s ability to transform those resources into industrial value, employment, technology and wealth within Africa.

Nigeria alone, according to the RMRDC, has more than $582.4 billion in documented non-renewable natural resources, while the wider continent possesses substantial deposits of critical minerals, agricultural raw materials and industrial feedstock.

Yet, the benefits of this resource endowment have often been constrained by inadequate processing capacity, weak infrastructure, limited technology, financing gaps and fragmented regional value chains.

From Dialogue to Industrial Action

ARMS 2026 builds on the maiden edition held in May 2025, which attracted more than 1,000 delegates from across the world.

The inaugural summit also witnessed the unveiling of the Ten-Year Raw Materials Transformation Roadmap (2025–2034) by the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owen Enoh.

The roadmap was designed around areas including technological capability, climate-resilient processing and backward integration, establishing a policy framework for greater domestic utilisation of Africa’s raw materials.

The second edition is expected to move the conversation further by bringing policy, capital, technology and industrial stakeholders around practical mechanisms for turning raw materials into locally manufactured products.

One of the major proposals highlighted by the RMRDC is the 30 per cent Mandatory Value Addition Bill, which seeks to establish a statutory minimum level of value addition to Nigerian raw materials before export.

The Council says the proposed framework could support job creation, import substitution, foreign-exchange conservation and increased manufacturing contribution to the economy.

Building the Infrastructure for Value Addition

The industrial transformation envisaged by ARMS 2026 goes beyond legislation.

A major concern is the “missing middle” between where raw materials are produced and where factories are located.

Poor transportation networks, inadequate cold-chain facilities, weak rural roads, limited testing and certification infrastructure and border-related delays can make locally sourced materials more expensive and less competitive.

Consequently, logistics and infrastructure constitute one of the five principal pillars of the summit.

The objective is to develop more reliable corridors connecting farms and mines with processing centres and manufacturing facilities, thereby reducing losses and improving the movement of industrial inputs.

The Digital Dimension

Technology is also becoming an important part of the Council’s strategy.

The RMRDC says it has developed the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP), described as a digital repository containing information on feedstock deposits, specifications, production outputs and industrial absorption rates.

The Council has also highlighted its transition towards paperless operations and its certification as a Data Controller/Processor of Major Importance by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

Such digital infrastructure could provide investors and manufacturers with better information about the availability and characteristics of raw materials while supporting more informed industrial planning.

Turning Waste Into Industrial Inputs

Another major component of ARMS 2026 is the proposed expansion of the circular economy.

The summit will examine how agricultural by-products, mine tailings, scrap metals and biomass can be recovered and reused as inputs for new production processes rather than being treated simply as waste.

The RMRDC argues that such an approach could lower raw-material costs while supporting more sustainable and climate-resilient manufacturing systems.

For Africa, where industrial expansion must increasingly balance economic development with environmental considerations, waste industrialisation could become an important part of the continent’s manufacturing conversation.

From National Production to African Value Chains

The African Continental Free Trade Area is another important element of the summit’s agenda.

The RMRDC sees AfCFTA as an opportunity to create regional value chains in which raw materials sourced in one African country can be processed and supplied to manufacturers in another.

Under such a model, Africa would move beyond simply exporting commodities to external markets and develop stronger internal networks for supplying chemicals, refined minerals, agricultural inputs and other industrial materials across national borders.

This approach places regional integration at the heart of Africa’s industrialisation strategy.

Bridging Research and Capital

A recurring weakness in many developing economies is the gap between research and commercialisation.

Innovations may emerge from universities, research institutions and laboratories without receiving the financing, equipment or market connections required to become commercially viable.

ARMS 2026 intends to address that gap through technology commercialisation and capital linkages, connecting research outputs with investors, development finance institutions and industrial off-takers.

The RMRDC has also cited partnerships with the Bank of Industry for commercial-scale post-harvest processing and a South-South technology-transfer partnership with the National Innovation Centre par Excellence in Shanghai, China.

A Larger Industrial Conversation

The scale of ARMS 2026 is expected to be significantly larger than the maiden edition.

The organisers project more than 1,800 delegates from all 54 African countries and global industrial partners.

The programme will feature high-level policy dialogues, technical panels, an advanced raw materials and technology exhibition, industrial site visits and the African Raw Materials Industry Awards.

The exhibition, in particular, is expected to showcase locally fabricated processing machinery, advanced domestic materials, green chemicals and engineered commercial inputs.

Beyond the speeches and exhibitions, however, the real significance of ARMS 2026 will ultimately depend on what happens after the summit.

Africa’s challenge has never been a shortage of raw materials. The more difficult question has been how to transform those resources into factories, products, skilled employment, technology and sustainable economic opportunities.

For Nigeria and the rest of the continent, the proposed shift from “pit-to-port” to “feedstock-to-factory” therefore represents a broader debate about the future structure of African economies.

ARMS 2026 seeks to place that debate firmly on the industrial agenda — with value addition, technology, finance, infrastructure, circular production and regional trade at the centre.

If the commitments and partnerships generated by the summit translate into measurable industrial activity, the event could provide another platform for Africa to examine how its enormous resource base can support stronger domestic manufacturing.

The message from the organisers is clear: the continent’s raw materials should not only leave African soil as commodities; they should increasingly become the foundation for African industrial production

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