Insecurity: Nigerian Army Set to Recruit 13,000 Personnel Amidst Funding Challenges
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| Insecurity: Nigerian Army Set to Recruit 13,000 Personnel Amidst Funding Challenges |
The Nigerian Army has announced plans to recruit approximately 13,000 new personnel in 2025 to boost its operational capacity in the face of rising insecurity. However, the force has expressed concerns over insufficient funding to adequately support the incoming recruits.
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Olufemi Oluyede, disclosed this during a visit by the Senate Committee on Army to the Army Headquarters in Abuja. The committee, led by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, was on an oversight mission to assess the state of military preparedness and funding.
General Oluyede emphasized the urgent need for improved financial support to address both operational demands and the welfare of personnel. He noted that the Army's current funding model—particularly the envelope budgeting system—is inadequate to meet its growing needs.
“As we speak, the Army continues to face operational challenges. This year alone, we expect to recruit 13,000 personnel, but there are no matching resources to provide accommodation and support infrastructure for them,” Oluyede said.
He added that many soldiers are already without proper accommodation, a situation that will worsen with the new intake unless special funding provisions are made. He urged the Senate Committee to advocate for the creation of dedicated funds for military infrastructure outside the traditional budgeting framework.
“We must prepare not only for internal threats but also for potential external aggression. That’s why we’re appealing for targeted funding to ensure our troops are well-supported and ready,” he stressed.
In response, Senator Yar’Adua acknowledged the Army’s financial constraints and expressed the committee’s readiness to push for better funding allocations. He supported the call for removing the military from the envelope budgeting system to give it greater fiscal flexibility.
“The current budgeting process limits the Army’s ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate. We’ve seen this firsthand during our oversight visits,” he said.
The senator further explained that the committee had been divided into sub-teams to inspect Army formations across Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Lagos States. While many projects were progressing well—some even completed—a few raised concerns that were reported to the Army leadership.
Senator Yar’Adua reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to supporting the Nigerian Army through continued oversight and legislative backing.
“We will work with the executive to ensure the Army gets the resources it needs. Another round of oversight visits is planned before the end of the year to track the implementation of the 2025 Appropriations Act,” he concluded.
