Retired military officers have raised concerns over the over stretching of Nigeria’s armed forces amid expanding internal security demands, calling for increased manpower and sustained investment in defence capacity.
Desk: Defence & Strategy
Date: 11 April 2026
Time: 13:10 WAT
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
The position was articulated at the 40th anniversary of the 27 Short Service Combatant Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, held at the Army Headquarters Command Officers’ Mess, Asokoro, Abuja, where former course members gathered to reflect on service, national security and their continued role in society.
President of the alumni association, retired Major General Okechukwu Ugo, while speaking on behalf of the course, said the reunion was not only a social engagement but also an opportunity to assess their collective contribution to national development.
“We are gathered as coursemates who left NDA 40 years ago… to review where we stand and see what we can give back to the society that made us what we are today.”
On Nigeria’s current security landscape, he linked rising insecurity to global economic pressures and the evolving nature of asymmetric threats.
“Globally, insecurity is increasing… the cost of living and economic pressures are pushing more people toward illegal means, including kidnapping.”
He noted that unlike previous decades when internal security was largely managed by the police, the military is now heavily engaged across multiple theatres nationwide.
“The military today is overstretched. In our time, internal security issues were minimal, but now the Army is deployed across the country performing roles previously handled by the police.”
To address the pressure, he called for a deliberate expansion of the Nigerian Army’s manpower and continued investment in platforms and capabilities.
“The manpower requirement of the Nigerian Army is higher now because of the challenges we are facing.”
The event featured a lecture and is expected to culminate in a gala night, with the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), scheduled to make an appearance as Special Guest of Honour.
The acknowledgment of overstretch by retired senior officers reinforces ongoing concerns about force distribution and the expanding scope of military involvement in internal security operations.
Calls for manpower expansion, point to a longer-term shift, where Nigeria’s security architecture may require structural rebalancing between military and policing functions to sustain operational effectiveness.
🏷️ Tags: Nigerian Army, NDA alumni, security challenges, force expansion, defence policy
#NigeriaSecurity #NigerianArmy #DefencePolicy #NDA #SecurityReform
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