As Nigerian Army clocks 160

The Nigerian Army (NA) on Friday, July 6, 2023, celebrated its 160th anniversary. Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, led the national level Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) at the Headquarters, 2nd Division Ibadan, Oyo State from July 1-6, 2023. It was also held at the Army’s eight Divisions, Brigade and Battalion headquarters and other units.

We congratulate the Army for this milestone. And while we celebrate them for the giant strides recorded so far, we believe that it is time for a change in its modus operandi, especially as it affects military-civilian relationships.

With the theme, ‘Sound Administration as a Panacea for Effective Military Operations’, NADCEL activities include interdenominational church services, special Juma’at prayers, free medical outreach and sanitation exercises.

Today’s Army began on July 6, 1863, when Lieutenant John Hawley Glover of the British Royal Navy, then Governor of Lagos, selected 18 indigenes from Northern Nigeria known as “Glover Hausas” to mount a punitive expedition in Lagos hinterland and to protect British trade routes in the area. They later transformed into “Hausa Constabulary”, and incorporated into the West Africa Frontier Force (WAFF) in 1901 as “Lagos Battalion.”

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WAFF merged all paramilitary units, producing the Northern Nigerian Regiment and Southern Nigerian Regiment, which were later used for expeditions during the annexation of Nigeria by Lord Lugard between 1901 and 1903.

With the amalgamation in 1914, the two regiments became Nigerian Regiments. The visit of Queen Elizabeth II between 28 January and 15 February 1956 saw the Nigerian regiment renamed Queens Own Nigerian Regiments (QONR).

Regionalization of WAFF in the same 1956 resulted in the QONR becoming the Nigerian Military Force (NMF). By 1st June 1958, the British Army Council in London relinquished control of NMF to the Nigerian Government. In 1960, when Nigeria became independent, the NMF became known as the Royal Nigerian Army (RNA). When Nigeria became a republic, the RNA changed to the Nigerian Army.

The transformation continued till the coup d’état of January 15, 1966 and the civil war from 1967-1970, which witnessed the Army’s astronomical increase in strength to 250,000. Along with other services and security agencies, it creditably fought to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria. But it also continued its dominance of the country.

They disrupted Nigerian democracy and dominated its governance more so that seven Army officers emerged as Heads of State from the January 15 and July 29 counter-coup of 1966; the coups of July 29, 1975; December 31, 1983; August 27, 1985, and November 17, 1993. There have also been unsuccessful coups on 13 February 1976 and April 22, 1990.

The military held sway for 29 out of Nigeria’s post-independence history before the return to civil rule in 1999. Its pervasiveness in the nation’s political leadership is such that even as democracy returned on May 29, 1999, two former generals – Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari – emerged as presidents, ruling for 16 of the 24 years of uninterrupted civilian rule.

The Army recorded giant strides. Along with the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force, it has executed its constitutional mandate of maintaining the territorial integrity and securing the country’s borders from violation on land, sea, or air; suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order, when called upon to do so.

Abroad, it contributed the bulk of the troops under the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) which restored peace and stability to war-torn Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Under the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping, Nigeria has participated in 17 operations. Between 1960 and 2012, Nigeria had a total of nine UN Force Commanders. At a point, Nigeria was ranked the fourth highest troop-contributing country to UN missions and the nation’s strides in global peacekeeping were a major foreign policy plank.

Generally, the Army has embarked on projects as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) including the rehabilitation of public school buildings, construction of roads, boreholes and Primary Health Centres (PHC), and deployment of medical personnel to care for civilian populations.

But the Army is still entangled with its heritage. It must shake off its dark historical past. This is because it first originated as an expeditionary force aimed at bringing citizens into submission. And less than six years after independence, when there were still some of that inbuilt systemic mindset, they thrust themselves into political leadership with the “messianic” instinct to bring good governance by force and subjugate anyone who is not in line.

Today, most Nigerians still see the Army with the same phobia of colonial tendencies and years of military rule. And this is because it still operates as if its job is to subdue the citizens as enemies of the state. It still operates with relics of its past history of superiority over civilians.

Therefore, the Army should use this anniversary to take stock, assess its performances, interface and set goals for continued professional growth and better performance of its constitutional roles. It should understand that it serves first the interest of Nigerians who own the Army and sustain it with their resources.

In the spirit of transparency and loyalty to the Nigerian people, the Nigerian Army must instil in its personnel the mindset of an Army where the citizens are the focus. It must be abreast with happenings around the world and internalize training on human rights. It must work to change its perception among Nigerians.