Nigeria’s military overstretched – Defence minister

The Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, said the Nigeria Armed Forces is overburdened because of inadequate manpower and numerous security challenges confronting the nation.

The minister stated this on Monday in Abuja at the 25th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) Scorecard Series organised to showcase the achievements of the government.

Presenting the scorecard of his ministry, Magashi said one of the challenges of his ministry was the excessive demands being made of the military in spite of its inadequate manpower.

“Adequate manpower is paramount for any military force to perform effectively. As of 2022, Nigeria, with an estimated population of about 220 million people, has a total military strength of about 223,000 personnel. This gives a ratio of military personnel to population of approximately 11,000. This is lower than those of Nigeria’s neighbours except Niger (Republic),” he said.

In addressing the challenge, the minister stressed the need to enhance the capacity of the police and other paramilitary agencies to enable them to discharge their primary responsibility of internal security.

According to him, Nigeria also needs consistent recruitment of about 12, 000 soldiers biannually to enhance the capabilities of the military to meet the security challenges of the country.