Expert Recommends Greatly Increasing Size of Nigerian Army
By Mike Odeh James and Segun Onibiyo
(Abuja) Nigeria’s military readiness has suffered a significant decline in global rankings, plummeting to the 39th position out of 145 countries, according to the 2025 Global Firepower (GFP) report. This alarming drop represents a three-place fall from 2023 and a four-place slide from 2022.
Since 2006 Global firepower (GFP) has provided a unique analytical display of data concerning 145 modern military powers. The GFP ranking is based on each nation’s potential war-making capability across land, sea, and air fought by conventional means.
Two years ago, Nigeria was rated the 36th strongest military in the world and 3rd strongest in Africa, after Egypt and South Africa. However, it has declined to the 4th position.
Nigeria’s military expenditure has seen a significant increase, reaching $3.19 billion in 2023 up from $3.10 billion in 2022. This growth is part of a larger trend, with Nigeria’s military spending averaging $1.26 billion from 1960 to 2023, based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. (IPPRI)
However, despite this increased spending, Nigeria’s military is facing immense pressure from multiple fronts which may have accounted for the decline in military ratings.
77 Persons Killed in Less Than a Week
A series of tragic incidents has resulted in significant loss of life. On January 10, 2024, a military air strike in Zamfara State mistakenly killed at least 16 civilians* The Nigerian Air Force acknowledged the incident and launched an investigation.
In a separate incident, at least 21 people were killed in an ambush by bandits in Katsina State. The victims were members of the state-backed Katsina Community Watch Corps.
The incident occurred in 10 January,2025
Most recently, on January 12, 2025, tragedy struck in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, where at least 40 farmers were brutally killed in an attack by suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP militants.
The total number of people killed in these incidents is at least 77 in less than a week
The military is also stretched thin in the Middle Belt, where Fulani Ethnic terrorists (FEM) are carrying out daily attacks in Benue, Plateau, and Taraba states. In the Southeast, a significant portion of the military is engaged in battling Igbo separatist group Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). Additionally, the armed forces are operating in the oil-rich Niger Delta, working to contain oil thieves and bunkerers who pose a significant threat to national security.
Nigerian Military Capabilities Defended by Retired Wing Commander
Retired Wing Commander Zakka Wei Williams, a veteran Air Force officer with 30 years of combat experience in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Somalia, has disputed the Global Firepower Rating’s assessment that Nigeria’s military capabilities declined in 2024. As a military analyst, Williams brings a wealth of expertise to his critique, drawing from his extensive experience in combat and military strategy.
“The Nigerian military has not declined. We are still on top, and if the government is ready, these terrorists will not be in this nation,” Williams said in an interview.
Williams argued that the Nigerian military remains a formidable force, citing their past successes in international competitions where they outperformed foreign students. “We beat them seriously. Nigerian military, I will tell you, has not declined once,” he emphasized.
The retired Wing Commander attributed the perceived decline in military effectiveness to a lack of political will to tackle security challenges. “It’s not that the military cannot rout these people, but there needs to be a political will to ask the military to do it,” Williams said.
He also highlighted the issue of corruption and the involvement of politicians in perpetuating insecurity. “The politicians are involved in all these. They brought them in during the election, promising them a share of power and wealth,” Williams alleged.
He specifically fingered the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai for his role he played in encouraging terrorism in Nigeria.
“El Rufai told us that in line with the Martin Luther Agwai committee recommendations, he met with Fulani Ethnic Militias from Mali, Niger, Tchad and Mauritania and paid them money so that they should not attack or kill Nigerians,” he said.
“El Rufai is not constitutionally mandated to do that. In my opinion, he hired them to fight the Nigerian government,” Williams went on to say.
“At the height of the insecurity occasioned by Fulani terrorists in Southern Kaduna, El Rufai never went there, neither did he say a word,” he added.
Wing Commander Williams believes that Nigeria’s military needs a significant boost in manpower. “With Nigeria’s huge population of 230 million and with the military being active in virtually all the 36 states of the country, the Nigerian military should have no less than one million men,” Williams said.
He emphasized that countries with large populations such as Nigeria require a substantial military presence, ideally in the millions. “Countries with huge populations like Nigeria should have a military with millions in number,” Williams noted.
To effectively tackle the various security challenges, Williams stressed the importance of not only increasing the military’s size but also ensuring that personnel receive adequate training and regular retraining. “We need the military to be trained and constant retraining should be maintained,” he said.
Despite Global Firepower Rating, Nigeria Gets Serious
Speaking to TruthNigeria about the GFP rating, Counter Terrorist Expert Zagazola Makama, who has close ties with Nigeria’s top general, said Nigeria has increased the procurement of weapons and firepower assets to fight insecurity.
Nigerian Air Force has procured 64 New Aircraft and Enhanced Training
Nigeria has indeed taken significant steps to enhance its military capabilities, even before its recent Global Firepower (GFP) rating. According to Makama, Nigeria has bolstered its defense infrastructure with 64 new aircrafts since 2022 and is expected to get more aircrafts from the US, France and Pakistan in order to boost its air capabilities.
“The newly acquired aircraft include KA-360i, DA-62, T-129 helicopters, and AW-109 Trekker helicopters. Additionally, the NAF has procured 12 used A-Jet aircraft from the French Air Force, which will be used to support the Alpha Jet fleet, “Makama said.
“Furthermore, Nigeria has also made significant strides in training, with 405 airmen and 186 officers completing foreign courses and seminars.
“Besides, 54 pilots have been trained abroad, and 43 pilots have been trained locally,
Makama added
Nigeria in 2024 bought 43 Bayraktar TB2 drones as part of Project Guardian, according to Military Africa.
The drones, known for their advanced surveillance and strike capabilities, are expected to enhance the country’s ability to combat insurgency and organized crime in the North-West region.
Mike Odeh James and Segun Onibiyo are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
