Nigerian Army Moves to Boost Troop Strength With Planned Recruitment of 24,000 Soldiers

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, has disclosed plans for a major recruitment drive that could add up to 24,000 new soldiers to the Nigerian Army.

Shaibu made the announcement during his visit to the 1 Division headquarters in Kaduna, where he met with frontline commanders and assessed ongoing security operations across the region.

According to details reported by BusinessDay, the Army chief explained that the new recruitment plan is part of a broader push to strengthen operational capacity in the face of persistent security challenges nationwide.

He noted that President Bola Tinubu has already approved the establishment of additional training centres to support the expansion.

Shaibu said the Army intends to begin by training 12,000 recruits over the next six months through the newly approved facilities. He added that if two training streams are run concurrently, the recruitment figure could double to 24,000, significantly boosting manpower for ongoing and future operations.

While the announcement signals a strong commitment to improving national security, the Army is yet to release full official details such as timelines, criteria for enlistment, and the locations of the new training centres. Nonetheless, the disclosure marks one of the most ambitious expansion statements by the military in recent years.

The move is expected to complement ongoing counter-insurgency, anti-banditry, and internal security operations across the country as the military continues efforts to restore stability in troubled areas.