hief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has said that future wars will not be necessarily won by those with superior weaponry, but possibly by those who have the ability to be creative and innovative in the application of critical thinking. Buratai said since adversaries being engaged by most militaries are becoming wiser and more unpredictable, “militaries must ensure they have an adaptive mindset that is realistic, open and unassuming, which no doubt requires the need to be aware of biases, logical fallacies and assumptions.”
“Thus, the concept of Critical Thinking is a necessity for future leaders of which the Nigerian Army is poised to be in the vanguard of the learning,” he said. Buratai made these observations while launching three books written by serving personnel at the just concluded Chief of Army Staff ’s Combined Second and Third Quarter Conference 2017, at the Army Headquarters Command Officers’ Mess, Abuja.
The tbooks are: “Curriculum for Basic Critical Thinking and Judgement”; “Curriculum for Self-Awareness in Critical Thinking and Judgement”; and “Curriculum for Advanced Critical Thinking and Judgement”, as well as “Curriculum for Self-Awareness in Critical Thinking and Judgement Workbook.” The army chief, represented by Maj. Gen. Chris Jemitola, Chief of Policy and Plans, said the books are invaluable to the cultivation of an improved process for decision making especially for future wars which are not necessarily won by those with superior weaponry but possibly by those who have the ability to be creative and innovative in the application of Critical Thinking.
Reviewer of the books and Director of Studies at the Nigerian Army War College Brig. Gen. Charles Ofoche, said since the world order is under constant threats military strategists have opined that military officers should have a change of mindset and mental model to successfully operate in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment, which critical thinking was panacea. Author of the books, Col. Charles Dalo Nengite attended the United States Army War College. He bagged 6 Distinguished Awards and Honours, as well as the Chief of Army Staff ’s Commendation Award, Nigeria.
