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-  Urges Youths To Join Military Service

By Festus Fabiyi

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has appealed to communities across Nigeria's South-East to encourage more young people to enlist in the Nigerian Army, saying the region has continued to record poor participation despite having a recruitment quota set aside for it.

Speaking on Wednesday at the passing-out parade of the first set of regular recruits trained at the Nigerian Army Recruit Training Depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, the Army Chief described the situation as worrying and said it had persisted for years.

According to him, the number of applicants from the South-East has consistently fallen short of the quota allocated to the region, leaving many available spaces unfilled during recruitment exercises.

Lt. Gen. Shaibu called on traditional rulers, parents, religious leaders, community elders and other influential figures to help reverse the trend by encouraging qualified young men and women to see military service as a noble opportunity to serve their country.

He stressed that joining the Army goes beyond earning a salary, describing it as a path built on patriotism, discipline, leadership and commitment to national unity.

Turning to the host communities, he urged the people of the South-East to embrace the Amasiri-Edda training depot as their own institution and motivate more youths to take advantage of the opportunities it offers.

He also appealed to families of serving personnel and new recruits to continue supporting them, noting that military life demands courage, sacrifice and constant encouragement from loved ones.

The Army Chief described the passing-out ceremony as a historic moment for the Nigerian Army because it marked the graduation of the pioneer batch of recruits from the newly established depot. The facility, inaugurated on November 25, 2025, is the Army's third recruit training depot and the first basic military training institution located in the South-East.

He said the establishment of the training centre demonstrates the Federal Government's commitment to ensuring every region of the country is included in national development while strengthening unity through equal opportunities.

Lt. Gen. Shaibu explained that the 90 soldiers who graduated in Ebonyi State belong to the first batch of a larger recruitment exercise approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Strategic Force Expansion Initiative.

He said the initiative will eventually produce 28,000 new soldiers, with the current batch forming part of the first 14,000 recruits being trained to reinforce the Army's manpower.

According to him, the expansion programme is designed to improve the military's ability to respond to terrorism, insurgency, armed banditry, separatist violence and other growing security challenges facing the country.

The Army Chief expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for approving both the establishment of the Amasiri-Edda depot and the resources needed to begin operations, saying the support has strengthened ongoing efforts to modernise and expand the Nigerian Army.

Addressing the newly commissioned soldiers, Lt. Gen. Shaibu reminded them that discipline must remain the foundation of their military careers. He warned them to obey all regulations governing the use of social media, saying careless online behaviour has become a serious concern within the armed forces.

He cautioned that sharing operational details, photographs of military activities, troop movements, sensitive locations or unverified information online could endanger lives, compromise security operations and damage the reputation of the Army.

The Army Chief made it clear that anyone found violating the Nigerian Army's social media policy could face severe disciplinary action, including dismissal from service.

He said such misconduct not only destroys the career and future of the individual soldier but also weakens operational security, discipline, morale and the credibility of the military as an institution.

Officials also disclosed that 3,011 recruits initially began the demanding training programme, while 2,989 successfully completed the rigorous exercises and graduated after meeting the required standards, marking another significant step in the Nigerian Army's drive to strengthen its ranks and improve national security.