Military hun? I guess this is one of the common terms we hear in our world ‘the …. Military troops….’ Well no matter what your understanding about the military is, and notwithstanding the universal basics of the military, some little things varies when it comes to individual country.
This content is going to focus on the Nigeria Military; the fact, figures, tips and all that, so when you hear about the Nigerian Military you will have a pretty good idea of what it’s like. And of course I’ll start with a quick definition of the term military.
Military is:
A military is an organization authorized by society to use deadly force including use of weapons, in defending a country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may also be used to advance a political agenda such as that of a military regime, support or promote economic expansion through imperialism, and as a form of internal social control.
As an adjective the term “military” is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military. Militaries often function as societies within societies, by having their own military communities. A military thus refers to or consist of a group of people that are organized, trained in the management and application of the instrument of violence for defence and security of the state. The first recorded use of the word military in English. spelled militarie, was in 1585 It comes from the Latin militaris (from Latin miles meaning “soldier”). The word is now identified as denoting someone that is skilled in use of weapons, or engaged in military service or in warfare.
The Nigeria Military.
Nigerian Army crest
The Genesis of the Nigerian Military called the Nigeria Army (NA) can be traced back to 1863 when the Imperial Governor of Lagos, Lt Glover of the Royal Navy gathered 18 Northern Nigerians to increase disciplinary expeditions to defend British trade routes around Lagos.
This small force grew into the Hausa Constabulary and later shaped part of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF). As a result of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Nigerian in a 1956 the renaming of the Northern and Southern Regiments became the Queen’s Own Nigerian Regiment (QONR). Later in that same year, She was granted her military autonomy complementing her dependencies, the QONR was re-designated the Nigerian Military Force (NMF), and at her independence in 1960, the name was changed to the Royal Nigerian Army. The present title, Nigerian Army (NA), came into use when Nigeria assumed a Republic status in 1963.
After Nigeria had become a Republic, the Nigerian Military was still structured to implement British oriented doctrines. Though small and mainly used for ceremonial duties, after independence, the NA was nonetheless a disciplined force. The coups-de-tat and counter coups of 1966 which culminated into the Nigerian Civil War, led the military to politics.
The NA has continued to expand in response to its mandate, growing from a force of six battalions before the Civil War to five divisions. Training has continued to improve from the simple to the complex both in content and methodology. There are now indigenous training institutions including 17 Corps Schools. The roles of the NA have also fundamentally changed from protection of trade routes to national defence and fulfillment of international obligations in furtherance of national objectives.
The present Chief of Army Staff since 2014 – present day is Major Gen Kenneth Minimah GSS psc(+) fwc
