Retired Nigerian Army General Ishola Williams has questioned the relevance of certain military training institutions in Nigeria in relation to the country’s current security challenges.
Williams, who previously served as Commandant of the Training and Doctrine Command and later represented Transparency International in Nigeria, made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television aired on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
During the discussion, the retired general spoke about the structure of military education in Nigeria and the types of warfare that officers are trained to confront. “Now, we are training institutions,” Williams said.
He pointed to the existence of several specialized military colleges across the services. “Army has a war college. Navy has a war college. And the Air Force has a war college,” he stated. Williams then questioned the type of conflict these institutions are preparing officers to address. “I’ve been asking, who are they fighting, really?” he asked.
He explained that the training offered at these institutions traditionally prepares officers for conventional warfare. “The war, they are being taught in these colleges to fight which war?” he said. Referring to the insurgency in the North-East, Williams questioned whether such institutions are necessary for that type of conflict. “Boko Haram? You need a college to fight Boko Haram?” he asked.
The retired general also listed other advanced training institutions within Nigeria’s military system. “And we have a National Defense College. We have a Command and Staff College for majors. We have one for captains,” he said.
He added that officers of different ranks undergo professional training through these programmes. “So captains, majors, and lieutenant colonel. So what is the war college for now? To fight who? Which war are we fighting?” Williams asked.
He also raised questions about the likelihood of conventional conflict with neighbouring countries. “Benin? Chad? Everywhere. None of them can attack us,” he stated.
Williams further addressed discussions about strengthening border security and referred to a suggestion previously made about constructing physical barriers along certain borders. “All these stories that people are coming through the border. Like our wonderful minister when he was Chief of Defence. He said we should build a wall,” he said.
The interviewer then asked, “Is that a bad idea?” Responding, Williams said, “He said we should build a wall in Niger. Completely bad idea.”
He explained that walls have historically been breached in various conflicts. “There’s no wall in military history. There’s no wall in military history that has not been breached,” Williams stated. “From China wall to the Roman wall, everywhere has been breached. Even to the one in Ijebu Ode. Nigeria is a very funny country,” he added.