The Nigerian Army has dismissed a viral claim circulating on social media on mandatory recruitment into the army, describing it as Fake News. The false message had quoted the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, as saying that if Nigerian youths refused to join the army, recruitment would be made mandatory for citizens aged 18 and above. The claim also alleged that the 10,000 recruits taken last year were missing and that application forms would be issued to all youths by January. The Army has confirmed that none of these statements are true.
What is true is that the Chief of Army Staff recently announced a new recruitment plan aimed at strengthening the Nigerian Army amid rising security challenges. The announcement was made on Wednesday during his operational visit to the 1 Division Nigerian Army in Kaduna, where he addressed officers ranging from second lieutenant to brigadier general.
Lieutenant General Shaibu explained that the Army is planning to recruit 12,000 soldiers within six months to boost its manpower. He added that this number could increase to 24,000 personnel if they operate two training streams across the new facilities. He said, “The area of responsibility is vast, and security challenges are dynamic. To meet these threats effectively, we need boots on the ground. In six months, we aim to train 12,000 soldiers from three new training facilities. If we operate two streams, we can produce up to 24,000 soldiers ready for deployment.”
He also stated that the goal is to ensure every recruit graduates with the capacity to join active operations immediately after training.
Meanwhile, the Senate has called for the immediate recruitment of 100,000 additional military personnel across the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, and Nigerian Air Force.
