Nigerian Army says it has successfully trained 14,000 of the 28,000 additional soldiers approved by President Bola Tinubu to strengthen its manpower in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes across the country.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, disclosed this during an interactive session with media executives on the sidelines of the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Shaibu said the recruitment exercise followed a comprehensive review of the Army’s manpower shortly after he assumed office.
According to him, the review revealed the need to increase the Army’s strength to effectively respond to the country’s evolving security challenges.
“Within one week of assuming command, I reviewed the manpower state of the Nigerian Army and saw the need to improve our strength because of the emerging security challenges across the country.
“I recommended to Mr President the need to improve our manpower, and he graciously approved the recruitment of 28,000 personnel,” he said.
The Army chief said the first phase of the recruitment programme had already produced 14,000 trained soldiers.
He explained that 6,000 personnel had graduated from the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria, while another 5,000 completed training at the Osogbo training school.
He added that an additional 3,000 recruits would soon graduate from the Amasiri-Edda Training Depot, bringing the total number of trained personnel to 14,000.
Shaibu said the Army had also reviewed its training curriculum to better prepare recruits for the realities of modern warfare, particularly counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
“Having manpower is one thing; ensuring they are properly trained is another.
“We have reviewed the curriculum to focus on marksmanship proficiency, counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and critical field skills.
“Before deployment, these young soldiers undergo almost 11 months of intensive training to ensure they are combat-ready,” he said.
The COAS said the deployment of newly trained personnel, supported by improved intelligence and modern military equipment, had already enhanced operational effectiveness.
According to him, intelligence-led operations conducted in collaboration with other security agencies and international defence partners have resulted in the arrest and neutralisation of 1,877 terrorists.
Shaibu also disclosed that the Army had expanded its technological capabilities through the acquisition of modern combat equipment.
He said the service had deployed mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, advanced surveillance systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to various theatres of operation.
“UAVs are among the critical combat enablers in modern warfare.
“We have acquired and deployed them across the various geopolitical zones to support ongoing operations.
“Some have surveillance capabilities, while others have strike capabilities,” he said.
Shaibu reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to improving operational capacity through enhanced manpower, modern equipment and continuous training to address the country’s security challenges.
