The Nigerian Army has again raised alarm over the consistently low number of applicants from the South-East geopolitical zone in its ongoing recruitment exercises, warning that the trend could affect regional representation in the military. Top officers at the 82 Division, Enugu, said turnout from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states remains far below the slots allocated to the zone in recent intakes.
Director of Army Recruitment, Resettlement and Reserve, Brigadier General N.C. Ugbo, disclosed that despite nationwide publicity, applications from the South-East accounted for less than 10% of total submissions in the last recruitment round. He noted that while other zones often exceed their quotas, South-East states struggle to fill even half, forcing the Army to either leave slots vacant or redistribute them.
Ugbo attributed the apathy to multiple factors, including misinformation about military service, fear of insecurity in the region, and lingering distrust from past civil-military relations. “We are not asking for favours; we are asking young men and women from the South-East to take up their rightful place in defending Nigeria. The Army belongs to all Nigerians,” he said during a stakeholders’ forum in Enugu.
Community leaders and traditional rulers who attended the forum admitted that many families discourage their wards from joining the Army due to security concerns and the perception that soldiers of South-East extraction are disproportionately posted to conflict theatres. Some also cited the economic pull of apprenticeship and trading as faster routes to financial stability than military enlistment.
The Army, however, pushed back on those claims, highlighting improved welfare, career progression, and educational opportunities now available to recruits. Officers showcased testimonies from serving personnel of South-East origin who have risen to senior ranks, earned foreign training, and accessed subsidised housing and health insurance. They stressed that low enrollment today translates to fewer generals, commanders, and policy influencers from the zone tomorrow.
To reverse the trend, the Army said it is partnering with Ohanaeze Ndigbo, town unions, and tertiary institutions to run sensitisation campaigns across the five states. Mobile recruitment teams will also visit local government headquarters to bring the screening process closer to applicants and debunk myths about enlistment requirements and postings.
Civil society groups at the event urged the Army to back its appeal with visible reforms, including transparent promotion systems and deliberate efforts to protect human rights during operations in the South-East. They argued that rebuilding trust is key to boosting interest, beyond adverts and quotas.
As the 2026 recruitment window stays open, the Army maintained that all qualified Nigerians will be given equal opportunity, but warned that “you cannot appoint who did not apply.” For the South-East, the message was blunt: fill the slots, or lose the voice.
