The minister said Nigeria needs consistent recruitment of about 12,000 soldiers bi-annually to enhance the capabilities of the military to meet the security challenges of the country.
The Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, says the Nigerian armed forces are 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, Mr Magashi, a retired general, said one of the challenges of his ministry was the excessive demands being made of the military despite 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 a 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 the minister, Nigeria also needs consistent recruitment of about 12,000 soldiers bi-annually to enhance the capabilities of the military to meet the security challenges of the country.
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Section 217 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) establishes the armed forces for the Federation which shall consist of an Army, a Navy and an Air Force.
Section 217 (2) (a-d) also spells out the function of the armed forces to include defending Nigeria from external aggression; maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea, or air, suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order, when called upon to do so by the president, but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly; and performing such other functions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
A group, Global Firepower, had in January rated the Nigerian Armed Forces 35th out of 142 countries in the global military ranking in 2022. It also said the Nigerian military was the fourth most powerful in Africa.
Synergy among security agencies
Mr Magashi also underscored the need for security agencies to work in synergy and shun inter-agency rivalry.
He noted that in the recent past, security agencies in the country always competed to emerge as the masses' favourites or the ones that are most effective in terms of discharging their responsibilities.
