Niger Republic has announced a plan to recruit 5,000 soldiers between the ages of 18 and 25 years to boost its fight against various Islamic militant groups.
According to the BBC, the decision is 3,000 more recruits than the Niger army’s usual annual intake, as the military faces seriousness insurgency challenge.
The military said the recruitment would be done in May.
Niger Republic, a landlocked West African nation, is grappling with Boko Haram fighters in the south, near its border with Nigeria and militants linked to Islamic State groups and al-Qaeda in the west, bordering Mali and Burkina Faso.
However, banditry that is taking a toll on many northwestern states in Nigeria is fast spreading to the Niger Republic.