Low enrolment of South-East youths into the army

The reluctance of South-East youths to respond to recruitment exercise into the Nigerian Army has become a matter of concern to the military authorities and other stakeholders across the country. The Nigerian Army has consequently decried the lethargy of South-East youths in the recent army recruitment exercise. As at April 7, 2026, Anambra State had recorded only 117 applicants out of 38,000 applications received nationwide. The apathy towards army recruitment exercise by youths in the South-East is pathetic and equally discouraging.

The leader of the army delegation to sensitise youths in the state, Brig.-Gen. Uche Nnabuihe, who made the disclosure in Awka, said the figure was recorded before the commencement of a nationwide awareness campaign for the 91 Regular Recruits Intake. The remaining four states in the region – Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi, equally posted low enlistment figures.

The ugly development should be quickly addressed. The low response to army recruitment in the South-East should not be allowed to become the norm. In April 2025, the Nigerian Army had raised similar concern over the poor enrolment of South-East youths. According to the leader of the 2025 army recruitment enlightenment team, Chima Ekeator, out of 200 slots allocated to South-East states, the region barely recorded 100 applications. Given the low response from the region, Ekeator observed that the South-East was gradually losing out on what was rightfully theirs.

The poor response pattern is not limited to the army; it has been extended to the Police and even other security agencies. In March, the Commissioner representing Enugu State at the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Peter Ogbonna Eze, raised the alarm over the low level of participation of South-East youths in recruitment exercises into the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies. According to him, statistics from recent recruitment processes indicate that the South-East recorded significantly lower participation compared to other regions of the country. The commissioner spoke in relation to the recruitment exercise by the Police Service Commission aimed at employing about 50,000 personnel into the Nigeria Police Force.

The low figure is not a recent phenomenon. Worried by the apathy towards the Force, in 2023, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, had appealed to youths in the South-East to join the Nigeria Police Force. The appeal by Ohanaeze followed the remarks by the then Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), the late Solomon Arase, that the South-East region, especially Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia, and Imo states, had the lowest turnouts in police recruitment.

The PSC had then noted that while Anambra State had only 541 applicants, being the lowest, Kaduna State had 20,259 applicants. Following Kaduna State at the top was Adamawa State with 18,933 applications, Borno State with 18,305, Bauchi State, with 16,554, Katsina State, with 16,232, and Kano State, with 15,888. As with Anambra, the other South-East states trailed behind with Ebonyi, 737 applicants; Abia, 966; Imo, 999 and Enugu, 1,036. The trend is, indeed, disturbing.

The military authorities ascertain why youths from the South-East are not forthcoming in army recruitment exercise. It is quite disturbing that the army is no longer attractive to young men and women from the zone. The military high command should be bothered about the apathy and low enrolment from a critical section of the country to army recruitment. It is sad that career in the military is no longer exciting to young Nigerians, especially those from the South-East. 

One of reasons for the low enrolment of South-East youths into the army and even the police is restricted career growth. Their rise in the army is restricted to a certain rank. The same is true of the police and others. People of the region are not allowed to be heads of certain commands in the army and police since after the Nigerian civil war. The same is true of Customs, Immigration and some other services.

People of the region are still being treated as outsiders in the armed forces and para-military organisations. Since 1975 to date, only one south easterner has been Chief of Army Staff. Also only one south easterner has been Inspector General of Police. No south eastern has headed the customs and only two were controllers general of immigrations within the period. There are also allegations of favouritism, selective postings and poor motivation in the service against the South East.

The politicisation of the security agencies, especially at the top can discourage youths from the zone from enlisting into the army and other security agencies. Let the federal government and the military high command address these anomalies. We, however, urge eligible youths from the South-East to take cue from their counterparts in other regions and join the army, given that it is a national institution. The Army offers a structured career path and opportunities for national service. The benefits of joining the service include career progression, regular pay and allowances, access to continuous military education, and specialised training. Others include exposure to diverse cultures, welfare packages, free medical care for personnel and their families, as well as pension and gratuity. The personnel also have opportunities for international assignments.

Political leaders from the South-East should encourage the youths to embrace careers in the military and other security agencies. They should endeavour to take the region’s slots in the security agencies. That is the only way they would ensure that the region is adequately represented in the nation’ security architecture.