FG Not Planning To Introduce Mandatory Military Training For Young People-Defence Minister
Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa has submitted and clarified that the Federal Government is not planning to make military training mandatory for Nigerian youths.
The Federal Government, he noted, is however committed to promoting a professional volunteer armed forces model that is supported by civic national service programmes.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the Minister of Defence, who made the clarification while giving his speech during the public presentation of a book titled ‘Serving the Nation: Exploring Mandatory Military Service for Nigerian Youths’ in Abuja on Friday, noted that the book in question contributes to ongoing national discussions on service, responsibility and nation-building, but does not reflect current government policy.
Retired General Musa, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties, Colonel George Usibe, added that Nigeria’s security architecture is based on a professional volunteer military complemented by civic national service, particularly the National Youth Service Corps, which continues to promote national integration and youth engagement.
‘Across the world, approaches to national service vary considerably. While a number of countries maintain mandatory military service as part of their defence architecture, a larger proportion operate professional volunteer armed forces supported by civic national service, reserve systems and community preparedness frameworks.
Our Armed Forces operate as a professional volunteer military dedicated to defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic, while supporting civil authorities in addressing internal security challenges. This professional force is complemented by civic national service through the National Youth Service Corps, which continues to play a vital role in promoting national integration, exposure and youth engagement across our diverse federation.
Additional youth-oriented and community-based platforms further contribute to resilience and civic responsibility within our society. It is therefore important to state clearly that there is presently no policy to introduce mandatory military service in Nigeria.
However, the Federal Government recognizes that scholarly inquiry and constructive public dialogue remain indispensable to policy evolution. Ideas must be examined, assumptions tested and perspectives shared within the marketplace of national thought. In this regard, the publication being presented today represents a commendable effort to stimulate evidence-based discussion on an issue of strategic relevance.
Nigeria’s policy direction remains pragmatic and consultative, with emphasis on expanding civic service opportunities, encouraging voluntary participation and strengthening youth skills development in line with national development priorities.
The broader debate on national service presents perspectives worthy of balanced reflection. Advocates often highlight the potential of structured service to foster unity, instil discipline, deepen civic consciousness and provide a reservoir of trained citizens capable of supporting national emergencies.
These aspirations resonate strongly within diverse societies seeking cohesion and resilience. At the same time, any consideration of mandatory service must be guided by constitutional principles, fiscal realities, institutional capacity and the socio-economic implications for young citizens.
The imperative to preserve a highly professional Armed Forces focused on operational readiness, technological advancement, jointness and inter-service cooperation remains central to Nigeria’s defence transformation efforts. Policy choices must therefore carefully balance ambition with feasibility, and national aspiration with institutional readiness.
Accordingly, Nigeria’s policy outlook may best be described as pragmatic, consultative and forward-looking. The pathway for strengthening national service may lie in innovative hybrid approaches that expand civic service opportunities, encourage voluntary reserve participation, enhance youth skills acquisition and build community resilience. Such approaches align with the broader objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes human capital development, national unity and institutional strengthening as foundations for sustainable security and prosperity’ he said.
Author of the book, Mohammed Abubakar listed countries where mandatory military service has been used to strengthen national security to include Finland, Israel, South Korea and Singapore .
A survey conducted during the research, he noted, showed that 73.1 per cent of respondents supported mandatory military service while 79.7 per cent are of the opinion that it can help address insecurity-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
