Concern is growing over the continued low enlistment of youths from Nigeria’s South-East into the Nigerian Army, with stakeholders calling for greater awareness and confidence-building measures to reverse the trend.
The renewed appeal followed comments by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, during the passing-out parade of the 99 Regular Recruit Intake at the Amasiri-Edda Army Recruit Training Depot in Ebonyi State. He said recruitment quotas allocated to the South-East had remained largely unfilled in recent years and urged traditional rulers, parents and community leaders to encourage qualified youths to embrace military service.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Ikechukwu Asadu, called for sustained sensitisation on national unity and civic responsibility. He, however, urged the military to improve the welfare and conditions of service for personnel, noting that concerns about the system may be discouraging some young people.
Other stakeholders identified additional factors behind the reluctance, including fears over safety, concerns about career prospects and rumours of unfair treatment. While civil society groups called for stronger engagement with communities, retired military officers dismissed claims of ethnic marginalisation and encouraged eligible youths to take advantage of opportunities in the Armed Forces.
Overall, stakeholders agreed that closer collaboration between the military, traditional institutions, youth groups and community leaders would be key to addressing misconceptions, rebuilding trust and encouraging greater participation by South-East youths in national service.
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