The Nigerian army is one of the major divisions of the Nigerian Armed forces. The army is responsible for land conflicts. The Nigerian army is presided by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). The burden of fighting the most recent and prolonged insurgency in the nation, the Boko Haram insurgency which has been one of the nation’s major security threat since 2002 lies on the Nigerian army.
List of Army Barracks in Nigeria
Past Engagement of the Nigerian army and activities abroad
In 1990, the Nigerian army intervened in the First Liberian war together with other Anglophone members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This was repeated under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in August 2003. It was urged by the United States to serve as a temporary presence until the United Nation’s force arrived. In 1997, peacekeeping troops were sent to Sierra Leone as a part of ECOMOG. There was also the invasion of the Gambia and the Northern mail war. In October 2004, Nigerian troops were sent to Darfur in Sudan to lead the African Union force so as to protect the lives of civilians. In January 2013, Nigerian troops were deployed to Mali as part of the African- led International Support Mission to Mali. There are also claims by the Nigerian army to have contributed more than 20,000 troops and police officers to the various mission of the United Nations since 1960. In 1965, the Nigerian police force has also been deployed to places like the UN India- Pakistan Observer Mission), the Iran-Iraq cease-fire in 1988, East Timor in 1999, Lebanon in 1978 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) 2004. The Nigerian army has also won domestic combats such as the Nigerian civil war (1967- 1970) and the conflicts of the Niger Delta.
Also, many Nigerian army officers have functioned as Chief of defence in other nations. For example, Brigadier General Maxwell Khobe who served as chief of staff in Sierra Leone from 1998-1999. Other roles taken on my Nigerians in the military of other countries include Commander Officers.
Challenges with the Nigerian Army
In spite of the effective manpower in the Nigerian army and possession of some formidable equipment, the Army has been plagued by technical deficiency and an exceptionally poor standard of maintenance of equipment. The Nigerian army is reported to enjoy an abundance of foreign suppliers which some say has only worsened the issue. These foreign supplies are received from Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, the former Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom. This is because the large scope of supplies makes maintenance difficult for the Nigerian army.
The Nigerian Army keeps up with at least eighty-two different weapon systems and 194 classes of ammunition, of sixty-two different categories, from fourteen production companies.
The current structure of the Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army is presided over by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC).
The Nigerian Army is functionally divided into combat arms, which are infantry and armoured.
The Infantry Corps Centre (ICC) was created in April 1958. This happened when some Nigerians and British instructors were moved from the West African Command Training School Teshie, Gold Coast (Ghana) to Queens Own Nigeria Regiment Dalet Barracks Kawo, Kaduna to start the Nigerian Military Forces Training College (NMFTC).
The Infantry is one of the most important arms of the Nigerian Army and is regarded as the queen of battle. The Army boasts of it being the surest guarantor of peace which is needed in the fight against insurgency. The Corps is headed by the Commander ICC. Other important arms of the Nigerian army include Corps of Artillery, Engineers corps, Intelligent Corps, Army signals, Corps of supply and transport, Corps of military police, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Education Corps, Army physical training, Band Corps, Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
The combat support arms, which include weapons and artillery, engineering and signals.
There is a unit responsible for doctrinal training and development of soldiers and overseeing other training centres called the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) located in Minna. There are 17 Corps Training Schools and the Nigerian Army College of Logistics (NACOL). [21][22]
Current formations include:
- 1 Division, headquartered in Kaduna
- 2 Division (HQ in Ibadan)
- 3 Armoured Division HQ in Jos
- 6th Amphibious Division HQ Port Harcourt
- 7th Infantry Division (OP-LD) HQ in Maiduguri
- 8th Division HQ Sokoto
- 81 Division (Amphibious) HQ in Lagos
- 82 Division (Airborne and Amphibious) with headquarters in Enugu
- Training and Doctrine Command HQ Minna
List of Army Barracks in Nigeria
Katsina Barracks, Katsina state
artillery Brigades Barracks, Minna
Alamala Barracks, Abeokuta state
Oyo, Mokola Military Barracks, Oyo state
Warri Military Barracks in Warri, Delta state
Army Barracks in Ede, Osun state
Ojo Barracks, Lagos state
Ejoor Barracks, Effurun, Warri state
22 Armoured Brigades, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin
174 Battalion, Nigerian Army barrack, Odoguyan Ikorodu, Lagos state
323 Artillery Brigade, Army Barracks, Military Base, Akure, Ondo state
33 Artillery Brigades Barracks, Bauchi state
Keffi Barracks
Okitipupa Barracks
Calabar Barracks
Lafenwa Barracks in Abeokuta
Onitsha Barracks
Ekanwan Barracks
Markurdi Barracks
Abakpa Barracks in Enugu state
Awkunanu Barracks in Enugu state
Rukuba barracks in Jos
Ikeja Barracks
Odogbo Barracks in Ibadan
Bori camps, Bori, Rivers state
Albati Barracks
Arokan Barracks
Tego Barracks
Beho Beho Barracks
Marda Barracks
Ashanti Barracks in Lagos state
Letmauk Barracks in Ibadan state
Bukavu Barracks in Kano state
Kotoko Barracks
Dalet Barracks
Mogadishu Barracks
Colito Barracks
Kalapanzin Barracks in Kaduna state
Chindit Barracks (Zaria)
Ribadu Cantonment (Kaduna)
Adaka Boro Barracks in Rivers state
Giwa and Maimalari Barracks in Borno state
Fort Nagwamatse Barracks in Kantagora, Niger state
Obienu Barracks, Bauchi state
Capm Wu BAsssey Barracks
Fort IBB
Sani Abacha Barracks
Yakubu Gowon Barracks
Aguiyi Ironsi Barracks
Gado Nasko Barracks (Abuja)
Goodluck Jonathan Barracks, Ohafia, Delta state- This is reported to the third largest military base in Nigeria. It houses the headquarters of the 14 Brigade and 145 Battalion offices.
Dodan Barracks, Ikoyi Lagos state- This is said to be the biggest barrack in Nigeria. It was the seat of all Head of states before democracy rule in Nigeria.