President Muhammadu Buhari at the Unveiling and Presentation of New Colours ceremony of the Nigeria Army’s held on April 27, 2023, made several claims regarding Nigeria’s army progress under his administration which began in 2015.
The president in a thread post tweeted on his Twitter handle on Saturday, April 27, 2023, claimed more than 60,000 soldiers have been recruited since 2015.
Buhari said the present administration has achieved a remarkable transformation of Nigeria’s military regarding fighting power, training, operations, manpower, remuneration & welfare, and maintenance efficiency.
The Findings
According to a World Bank report cited by Macrotrends, Nigeria’s military size in 2014 was 162,000, and it increased to 200,000 in 2015.
There was no additional increase in the army till 2017, which was 215,000.
In 2018 it increased to 223,000. The difference between the number of personnel recruited between 2015 and 2019 is 66,000.
The latest data by Global Fire Power, a website that ranks nations of the world based on currently available firepower, shows that Nigeria’s military personnel population stood at 230, 000 in 2023.
The Verdict
According to data from Global Fire Power and World Bank report, the claim that more than 60,000 soldiers were recruited under Buhari is TRUE
By Dare Akogun
