TheNigerian Armed Forces (NAF) are themilitary forces ofNigeria. The forces consist of three service branches: theNigerian Army,Nigerian Navy, andNigerian Air Force. ThePresident of Nigeria functions as thecommander-in-chief of the armed forces, exercising hisconstitutional authority through the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for the management of the military and its personnel. The operational head of the AFN is theChief of Defence Staff, who is subordinate to theNigerian Defence Minister. With a force of more than 230,000 active personnel, the Nigerian military is one of the largest uniformed combat services in Africa.[3]
The Nigerian Armed Forces were established in 1960 as the successor to the combat units of theRoyal West African Frontier Force stationed in the country, which had previously served as the British Empire's multi-battalionfield force, during Nigeria'sprotectorate period. Since its creation, the Nigerian military has fought in acivil war – theconflict with Biafra in 1967–70 – and sent peacekeeping forces abroad, both with the United Nations and as the backbone of theEconomic Community of West African States Cease-fireMonitoring Group (ECOMOG) inLiberia andSierra Leone. It has also seized power twice at home (1966 & 1983).[4] Nigeria's armed forces would continue to remain an active element in combat operations throughout the African continent over the proceeding decades, with notable engagements including its 2017 involvement as part of theECOWASmilitary intervention inthe Gambia.[5]
The roles of a country's armed forces are entrenched in her constitution. The defence of the territorial integrity and other core interests of the nation, form the major substance of such roles. Section 217-220 of the 1999Constitution of Nigeria thus addresses the Nigerian Armed Forces:
The origin of the Nigerian Armed Forces lies in the elements of theRoyal West African Frontier Force, that became Nigerian when independence was granted in 1960. In 1956, theNigeria Regiment of theRoyal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) was renamed the Nigerian Military Forces, RWAFF, and in April 1958, the colonial government of Nigeria took over from the BritishWar Office control of the Nigerian Military Forces.[6][7]
Shortly after its formation, the NAF was engaged in combat operations against the secessionist state ofBiafra, during theNigerian Civil War from 1967 to 1970. At this point, the Nigerian military ballooned in strength from 85,000 personnel in 1967 to more than 250,000 troops by the war's end.[8] In the years following the civil war, the Nigerian Armed Forces were halved in size from its post-war height to approximately 125,000 men. Despite this contraction in the size and funding of its armed forces, Nigeria would boast the only military inWest Africa capable of engaging in foreign military operations, such as during its intervention inLiberian civil war in 1990.[9][10]
The great expansion of the military during the civil war further entrenched the existing military hold on Nigerian society, carried over from the first military regime. In doing so, it played an appreciable part in reinforcing the military's nearly first-among-equals status within Nigerian society, and the linked decline in military effectiveness.Olusegun Obasanjo, who by 1999, had become president, bemoaned the fact in his inaugural address that year: "... Professionalism has been lost... my heart bleeds to see the degradation in the proficiency of the military."[11]
Today, the NAF faces a number of domestic challenges which continue to undermine stability within Nigeria and the region as a whole. Some of these threats include the ongoing conflict against thejihadistrebel group,Boko Haram innortheastern Nigeria, which has been in effect since July 2009. Likewise, Nigeria has been engaged in a long-runninganti-piracy campaign in theNiger Delta, which has threatened the vitalpetroleum industry in the country, which is the source of 90% of Nigeria's exports and 35% of the government's revenue.[12][13] Compounding this state of affairs is the role corruption plays in the ongoing attempts to strengthen the armed forces. Corruption has historically weakened the Nigerian military's capacity to face internal security threats and is cited as being responsible for the continued longevity of rebels and terrorists operating throughout the nation.[14][15]
In spite of these challenges to its operational readiness, the Nigerian Armed Forces have committed to a number of wide-ranging modernization programs to bolster the discipline and firepower of its troops. This includes the acquisition of new armored vehicles, combat aircraft and aerial reconnaissance drones, and the refurbishing of naval vessels, which had suffered from prolonged periods of poor or minimal maintenance. These trends in the development of the armed forces as a fighting force, as well as efforts to combat corruption within the ranks of military personnel and government bureaucracy, have been critically important in the ability of Nigeria to confront challenges to its national security and stability in the wider region of West Africa as a whole.[16][17][18][19]
The President of Nigeria functions as thecommander-in-chief of the armed forces, exercising his constitutional authority through the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for the management of the military and its personnel. The operational head of the AFN is theChief of the Defence Staff, who is subordinate to the Nigerian Defence Minister. The current chief is GeneralOlufemi Oluyede.
The National Defence Council has been in existence since 1979 and advises the President on matters relating to the armed forces. The NDC is chaired by the president, and its members include theVice President of Nigeria, the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of State for Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff, as well as others the president is empowered to appoint.
The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the largest among the armed forces. Its major formations include the1st Division,2nd Division,3rd Armoured Division,81st Division,82nd Division and the newly formed 8th, 7th and 6th Divisions. The Nigerian army is headed currently by Lieutenant GeneralWaidi Shaibu, who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.[20] The Nigerian Army has been playing a major role in defence of NigerianDemocracy since the first republic till date.[21]
The Nigerian Navy (NN) is the sea branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Nigerian Navy command structure today consists of the Naval Headquarters in Abuja as well as three other operational commands with headquarters inLagos,Calabar andBayelsa. The training command headquarters are located in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, but with training facilities spread all over Nigeria. There are five operational bases; five forward operational bases (with two more soon to come on stream), two dockyards located in Lagos andPort Harcourt and two fleets based in Lagos and Calabar. The Nigerian Navy is currently headed by Vice AdmiralIdi Abbas.[22]
The Nigerian Air Force was formally established in January 1964, with technical assistance fromWest Germany. The Air Force started as a transport unit, with the aircrew being trained inCanada,Ethiopia andPakistan. The Air Force did not get combat capability until a number ofMiG-17 aircraft were presented by theSoviet Union in 1966.
In 2007, the Air Force had a strength of 10,000.[23] It flies transport, trainer, helicopter, and fighter aircraft. By 2021, the number of Air Force personnel had increased to 18,000.[24]
The Air Force sponsors theAir Force Military School, Jos, Nigeria and theAir Force Institute of Technology. Nigeria also has pursued a policy of developing domestic training and military production capabilities. Nigeria has continued a strict policy of diversification in its military procurement from various countries. The Nigerian Air force is currently headed by Air MarshalSunday Aneke.[25]
Training establishments in Nigeria include the prestigious officer entry:Nigerian Defence Academy atKaduna, theArmed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, and the National War College atAbuja.[26] The U.S. commercial military contractor,Military Professional Resources Inc. has been involved around 1999–2000 in advising on civil-military relations for the armed forces.[27]
| Name | Photo | Country of origin | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camouflage | ||||
| M14 Woodland/Arid Pattern | 
|  Nigeria | Combat uniform | Standard Issue Uniform for Nigerian Armed Forces Service Members for Overseas Deployment |
| MultiCam |  |  United States | Combat uniform | Currently used by special forces |
| Digital Camouflage | Nigeria | Combat uniform | Currently used by special forces, both the Woodland/Arid Pattern | |
| Helmet | ||||
| PASGT |  | NigeriaUnited States | Combat Helmet | Standard Combat Helmet of the Nigerian Military. Nigerian derivative of the AmericanPASGT |
| MICH | .png) | NigeriaUnited States | Combat Helmet | Standard Combat Helmet of the Nigerian Military. Nigerian-made version of the AmericanMICH |
| FAST |  | NigeriaUnited States | Combat Helmet | Combat helmet of the Nigerian Special Forces. |
| Ballistic vest | ||||
| Soldier Plate Carrier System |  | Nigeria | Bulletproof vest | The Army and Special Forces use multiple tactical vests and plate carriers from local manufacturers. |
| Modular Tactical Vest |  | Nigeria | Bulletproof vest | Standard Issued for the Military from local manufacturers. |
| Thermal imager/Night Vision | ||||
| Thales Sophie-LR |  |  France | Thermal Imager | In Service |
In December 1983, the new Major GeneralMuhammadu Buhari regime announced that Nigeria could no longer afford an activist anti-colonial role in Africa.AnglophoneECOWAS members establishedECOMOG, dominated by the Nigerian Army in 1990, to intervene in thecivil war in Liberia. The Army has demonstrated its capability to mobilize, deploy, and sustain brigade-sized forces in support ofpeacekeeping operations inLiberia. Smaller army forces have been previously sent onUN and ECOWAS deployments in theformer Yugoslavia,Guinea-Bissau, andSierra Leone.[28][29][30] This doctrine ofAfrican military intervention by Nigeria is sometimes calledPax Nigeriana.[31]
That policy statement did not deter Nigeria under GeneralsIbrahim Babangida in 1990 andSani Abacha in 1997, from sending ECOMOG peacekeeping forces under the auspices of ECOWAS into Liberia and later Sierra Leone, when the civil wars broke out in those countries. PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo in August 2003, committed the Nigerian troops once again to Liberia, at the appeal of theUnited States, to provide an interim presence until theUnited Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) arrived.[32]Charles Taylor was subsequently eased out of power and exiled to Nigeria.
In October 2004, the Nigerian troops were deployed toDarfur, Sudan, to spearhead anAfrican Union force, to stop the genocide in Darfur.[33] Nigeria has contributed more than 20,000 troops/police to various UN missions since 1960. TheNigerian Police Force and troops have participated in:
Nigerian officers have served asChiefs of Defence in other countries, with Brigadier GeneralMaxwell Khobe, serving as Sierra LeoneChief of Staff in 1998–1999,[39] and Nigerian officers acting as Command Officer-in-Charge of theArmed Forces of Liberia from at least, 2007.
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