Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, the Chief of Army Staff, has raised concerns regarding the consistently low number of recruits from the South-East joining the Nigerian Army. During the graduation of the first 90 soldiers at the Amasiri-Edda training facility in Ebonyi State, he stated that the region’s recruitment quota has remained underutilized for years, a situation he deemed unacceptable.
The Army Chief requested that community leaders, parents, and traditional rulers persuade eligible youths to consider the military as a path for national service and leadership. He emphasized that the Amasiri-Edda depot, founded on November 25, 2025, serves as a symbol of the government’s dedication to national unity and balanced regional development.
These graduates are part of a broader plan involving 14,000 soldiers authorized under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Strategic Force Expansion Initiative. This program is designed to bolster manpower to fight internal security threats, such as banditry and insurgency.
Furthermore, Shaibu cautioned the new soldiers about the dangers of improper social media use. He warned that sharing operational details or restricted military imagery constitutes a severe breach of policy. He stated that such actions undermine national security and carry harsh penalties, including potential discharge from service. Of the 3,011 individuals who began the training, 2,989 successfully completed the program.
