*Recruited 60,000 soldiers to fight national threats since 2015
President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration has placed over 50,000 children and wards of army personnel, who died in active service while fighting against terrorism, banditry and other national threats on the Nigerian Army scholarships from 2015 to date, noting that it was in line with his resolve to cater for the families of deceased personnel.
He spoke on the occassion of the Nigerian Army Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade 2023 in Abuja, adding that within the same period, he facilitated the recruitment of over 60,000 soldiers, aside thousands commissioned from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
Addressing about 1,500 commissioned and non commissioned officers and hundreds of other Nigerians and members of the diplomatic corps, Buhari said: "It is a privilege for me to present colours to some deserving units, which have played vital roles in securing our country.
"Colours are revered symbols of the identity of a unit. They also display a regiment's battle honours or those inherited from predecessors. They, therefore, play huge roles in the operational successes of their regiments.
"I am also aware that since the last Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade in 2007, new units have been established and operationalised in line with the increasing operational commitments of our Army.
"At the inception of this administration, the nation's security situation was greatly challenged by the activities of violent non-state actors.
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"Today, I am pleased to specially note that the situation has tremendously improved and I wish to also proudly highlight that we have made remarkable progress in the fight against insurgents, militants, oil bunkerers, kidnappers and other criminal elements in the country.
"This administration has achieved remarkable transformation of the military in the areas of fighting power, training, operations, manpower, remunerations and medical services.
"These are in addition to maintenance efficiency, accommodation and expansion of forces. The improvements in these areas have collectively enhanced the Army's capacity to effectively carry out its constitutional mandate.
"The fighting power of our Army was at low ebb as at May 2015. However, seven years later, its fighting power has increased significantly making it fourth in ranking among African militaries as against seventh in 2015.
"Our interventions and yearly budgetary allocations to the Army between 2020 and 2022 alone, have been able to procure hundreds of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, Troops Carrying Vehicles, utility vehicles, tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers to augment those earlier procured.
"From 2017 to 2022, significant numbers of new fighting and utility vehicles along with supporting artillery guns, machine guns, rifles and corresponding ammunition were acquired and inducted into various theatres of operations. This translates to significant increment in the Army's equipment holding since 2015."
