“Principles for Greatness” with Buratai: Read to Lead, Achieve, and Inspire

By Zainab Adewale

ABUJA – Former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai (Rtd), was on Wednesday celebrated in Abuja during the public presentation of Life Principles for Greatness from the Life of General Tukur Buratai: Lessons for Today’s Youth, a new book highlighting his leadership journey and values.

The event, held at Abuja Continental Hotel, was organised by Sprezzatura Publishing Limited in collaboration with the Abuja Leadership Centre. It drew an audience of royal fathers, diplomats, military veterans, politicians, academics, students, and literary enthusiasts.

The official unveiling and presentation was led by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua.

Chairman of the occasion, Yusuf Mamman, in his opening remarks, lauded Mr Buratai as a soldier scholar whose tenure came at a very challenging and difficult time in national history marked by the Boko Haram insurgency.

According to Mr Mamman, “his framework for modernising the Nigerian Army is still what we are following.”

He emphasised that the book’s focus on youth is fitting, “We are here to celebrate him, a man who came at a very challenging and very difficult time in our national history.”

Book roots

Mohammed Abubakar, an author, said the work grew out of a leadership training he organised as part of his programme at the Abuja Leadership Centre.

Mr Abubakar said he taught over 150 students from 30 schools on themes like perseverance, leadership, handling rejection, and excellence and designed the book to capture those principles.

He also explained his choice to frame the lessons within a relatable figure.

“By linking it to an individual whom your mind can easily relate to, this is how the Legacy of Chukwudi Suporachai became central to the narrative.”

He described Suporachai as a teacher, mentor and trusted advisor whose grounding lessons on discipline, trust in God, and financial prudence shaped the narrative’s human touch.

Book review

During the book review, AK Peters described the book as a timely blueprint for Nigerian youth navigating a complex and challenging environment.

Mr Peters said the book’s value with the structure of 15 chapters lies in showing that leadership is not a product of titles or positions but of consistent values.

“What this work captures is not just the biography of a man but a set of guiding principles that any young person, in any field, can adopt to make an impact, he noted.

He pointed to the author’s portrayal of Buratai’s resilience in the face of national security crises, his refusal to seek personal credit, and his focus on strategic innovation as qualities that should be studied and emulated.

He also stressed the importance of the book’s accessibility while urging youth organisations and schools to integrate it into leadership and civic education programmes..

Buratai calls for early mentorship, personal accountability

Former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai (Rtd) in his special remarks expressed humility and gratitude, saying, “It is a thing of joy that my life can serve as an example to the author, and an inspiration to youths in Nigeria and beyond.”

He also used the platform to make a passionate case for intentional mentorship and moral guidance for young Nigerians, warning that the erosion of values often begins early.

“We must mentor our children right from the beginning. If we allow our children to be misguided by external influence, especially the social media and all the controls of the smartphones, that is where influence starts, and that’s where the decay starts especially in this generation.”

Drawing from his upbringing in Maiduguri, Mr Buratai recalled being the youngest and smallest among his peers but said discipline and positive role models shaped his path. “It requires just motivation and the right attitude,” he noted, stressing that youth must learn resilience, integrity, and service from an early age.

He cautioned against a culture of blame-shifting among older generations, saying, “We cannot blame any generation if we have failed to guide them. Leadership starts in the home, not in the office.”

The retired general also expressed optimism that the principles in the book would equip young readers to resist distractions and build purposeful lives.