The Nigerian Army has expressed concern over the low turnout of youths from the South East in its ongoing 2025 recruitment exercise, urging a shift in attitude to address the imbalance.
While northern states like Kaduna have seen over 3,000 applications, Enugu State has recorded only about 100, according to figures released by the Army.
The situation, officials say, is similar across other South East states.
Brigadier-General Chima Ekeator, who leads the Army’s 2025 recruitment awareness campaign, made the appeal during a town hall meeting held in Enugu over the weekend.
The gathering included local government chairmen, traditional rulers, community leaders, and heads of town unions.
“Our people are missing out on opportunities that rightfully belong to them,” Ekeator said, encouraging young people from the region to seize the chance to serve and secure their place in the military.
‘’Each year, whenever a slot is being allocated to our people, we keep noticing that the number of applicants from our side is usually very poor.
“For example, Enugu State was given about 200 slots but the people who made it were never up to 100 due to poor application. This has also become a recurring decimal in other states in the South East.
“Today’s statistics on the number of applicants show that Kaduna has about 3,000 applicants, while Enugu is still battling with about a hundred; and by the time we will be through with screening, you will not have enough to recruit from the state.”
He dismissed claims that individuals from the South East were being disproportionately killed in the Army due to being sent to the front lines first. He emphasized that the region currently holds several key and strategic positions within the military.
“There are a lot of falsehoods out there, stating that the Igbo are being killed because they are the first to be sent to the battlefield. These things are not true. After all, we that are here have risen high in the Army and we are telling you that they are lies.
‘’Today in the Nigerian Army, our brother is one of the top commanders in charge of equipment. His name is Chibueze Ogbuabor,” he said.
In his remarks, Enugu State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Mr. Lloyd Ekweremadu, expressed disappointment that the issue has continued despite ongoing efforts to address it.
He advocated for a reassessment of the current methods used to publicize military recruitment opportunities and stressed the importance of clearly communicating the benefits of joining the Army to attract more interest from the region’s youth.
“While seated here, I was just trying to conduct a very quick research and it appears this same problem is happening worldwide and militaries across the world are deploying more cutting-edge strategies for recruitment because we are talking about the new generation that you communicate in a different way from the past,” he stated.
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He reaffirmed Governor Peter Mbah’s dedication to ensuring Enugu State meets its recruitment quota, highlighting the military as a prestigious and honorable profession recognized globally.
Also speaking, Okechukwu Edeh, Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), promised stronger collaboration from local government councils. However, he urged the military leadership to address lingering concerns among the populace to make military service more attractive to young people.
Adding their voices, Arinze Ogbodo, State Coordinator of the Presidents-General of Enugu State Town Unions; Ambassador Lawrence Agubuzu, former Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council; and Lieutenant Colonel Israel Mbah (retd), traditional ruler of Nomeh Unataeze, all encouraged the youth to take advantage of the opportunity to join the Army.
They, however, emphasized the importance of sustained public awareness and education to boost interest and participation.
“I was a military man before. I survived every war. I did mine and today I am a traditional ruler. So, I believe that our young people should join the force,” he stated.
