Evidence Ochuko
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Why I And Many Young Nigerians Are Shunning the Nigerian Army Recruitment Drive – The Hard Truth About Bad Governance, and What the Government Must Do Immediately
Fellow Nigerians, the 91st Regular Recruits Intake (91RRI) portal opens on March 30, 2026, and runs till May 17.
The Nigerian Army is desperate for thousands of new soldiers – up to 24,000 in some projections – to tackle banditry, insurgency, and insecurity across the country.
Yet, in many states, especially in the South-West and South-East, the response has been embarrassingly low.
Imo State, for example, recorded just 671 applicants in a previous exercise (I can be wrong sha). Youths are scrolling past the announcements, laughing it off, or openly calling it a “death trap.” Why? It’s not laziness. It’s not a lack of patriotism. It’s the direct result of years of bad government and terrible governance.
Let me break it down plainly.
First, the welfare is a national disgrace. Serving soldiers earn less than ₦200k a month in many junior ranks – roughly the price of a bag of rice these days.
Allowances for operations, risk, or family support are delayed for months or never paid. Families of fallen heroes are left to beg on social media for help with burials or school fees. Medical care in barracks is often non-existent; soldiers die from treatable wounds because drugs are diverted.
Videos of soldiers protesting unpaid salaries or sleeping in leaky tents have gone viral for years. Who in their right mind will sign up to risk their life when the system treats them like expendable pawns? Young people see their uncles, brothers, or cousins return broken – physically, mentally, financially – and they say, “No thanks.” This is not rocket science; it’s basic human survival instinct.
Second, the risks are insane while the tools are pathetic. Nigeria is fighting Boko Haram/ISWAP in the North-East, bandits in the North-West, unknown gunmen in the South-East, and farmer-herder clashes everywhere. Bro, crime in Nigeria is too much even Satan never do reach like this.
Soldiers are deployed to hot zones with outdated rifles, insufficient ammunition, and no proper armoured vehicles. Reports of troops buying their own boots or ration packs are common.
You’re asked to die for a country that won’t even equip you to fight effectively. Meanwhile, the same government officials fly private jets and send their children to schools abroad.
Youths compare this to civilian hustles – okada riding, trading, or even risky migration – and choose life over guaranteed hardship. Social media has made it worse: every ambush, every video of abandoned troops goes viral. The glamour of “joining the Army” died long ago.
Third, corruption and nepotism have destroyed trust in the recruitment process itself. Everyone knows the drill: you need a “godfather,” a politician, or a senior officer to “push” your name. Slots are allegedly sold or reserved for children of the elite, while qualified candidates from certain ethnic groups or regions are sidelined.
The Army itself has publicly decried low turnout from the South, but many see it as a symptom of deeper marginalization. Post-civil war memories in the South-East, perceived bias in promotions and deployments, and a feeling that the military serves the interest of a few rather than the nation, these are real barriers.
When recruitment feels rigged, why waste your time filling forms and risking disqualification over “minor mistakes” like wrong spellings or missing NIN/BVN details?
Fourth, the bigger picture of bad governance has killed the appeal of national service. Nigeria’s youth bulge is real – over 60% of the population is under 30.
Unemployment is sky-high, inflation is choking families, and basic services (power, roads, hospitals) are collapsing. In a functioning country, joining the military would be an honourable career with decent pay, training, and respect.
Here, it feels like volunteering to be cannon fodder for a government that can’t even fix simple things like fuel subsidies or refinery operations without turning them into scams.
Many young Nigerians are turning to tech startups, content creation, farming cooperatives, or the “japa” route because they see no future in a system that rewards connection over competence. Why die for Nigeria when Nigeria refuses to invest in Nigerians?This isn’t anti-military talk. Our soldiers are heroes when given half a chance.
They have sacrificed immensely in peace-keeping missions and internal operations. But the institution is being undermined by the very government that controls it.
We are eating our own future.
#FixNigeria #NigerianArmyRecruitment #91RRI #YouthAndSecurity #GoodGovernance #ENDBADLEADERSHIP
Fellow Nigerians, the 91st Regular Recruits Intake (91RRI) portal opens on March 30, 2026, and runs till May 17.
The Nigerian Army is desperate for thousands of new soldiers – up to 24,000 in some projections – to tackle banditry, insurgency, and insecurity across the country.
Yet, in many states, especially in the South-West and South-East, the response has been embarrassingly low.
Imo State, for example, recorded just 671 applicants in a previous exercise (I can be wrong sha). Youths are scrolling past the announcements, laughing it off, or openly calling it a “death trap.” Why? It’s not laziness. It’s not a lack of patriotism. It’s the direct result of years of bad government and terrible governance.
Let me break it down plainly.
First, the welfare is a national disgrace. Serving soldiers earn less than ₦200k a month in many junior ranks – roughly the price of a bag of rice these days.
Allowances for operations, risk, or family support are delayed for months or never paid. Families of fallen heroes are left to beg on social media for help with burials or school fees. Medical care in barracks is often non-existent; soldiers die from treatable wounds because drugs are diverted.
Videos of soldiers protesting unpaid salaries or sleeping in leaky tents have gone viral for years. Who in their right mind will sign up to risk their life when the system treats them like expendable pawns? Young people see their uncles, brothers, or cousins return broken – physically, mentally, financially – and they say, “No thanks.” This is not rocket science; it’s basic human survival instinct.
Second, the risks are insane while the tools are pathetic. Nigeria is fighting Boko Haram/ISWAP in the North-East, bandits in the North-West, unknown gunmen in the South-East, and farmer-herder clashes everywhere. Bro, crime in Nigeria is too much even Satan never do reach like this.
Soldiers are deployed to hot zones with outdated rifles, insufficient ammunition, and no proper armoured vehicles. Reports of troops buying their own boots or ration packs are common.
You’re asked to die for a country that won’t even equip you to fight effectively. Meanwhile, the same government officials fly private jets and send their children to schools abroad.
Youths compare this to civilian hustles – okada riding, trading, or even risky migration – and choose life over guaranteed hardship. Social media has made it worse: every ambush, every video of abandoned troops goes viral. The glamour of “joining the Army” died long ago.
Third, corruption and nepotism have destroyed trust in the recruitment process itself. Everyone knows the drill: you need a “godfather,” a politician, or a senior officer to “push” your name. Slots are allegedly sold or reserved for children of the elite, while qualified candidates from certain ethnic groups or regions are sidelined.
The Army itself has publicly decried low turnout from the South, but many see it as a symptom of deeper marginalization. Post-civil war memories in the South-East, perceived bias in promotions and deployments, and a feeling that the military serves the interest of a few rather than the nation, these are real barriers.
When recruitment feels rigged, why waste your time filling forms and risking disqualification over “minor mistakes” like wrong spellings or missing NIN/BVN details?
Fourth, the bigger picture of bad governance has killed the appeal of national service. Nigeria’s youth bulge is real – over 60% of the population is under 30.
Unemployment is sky-high, inflation is choking families, and basic services (power, roads, hospitals) are collapsing. In a functioning country, joining the military would be an honourable career with decent pay, training, and respect.
Here, it feels like volunteering to be cannon fodder for a government that can’t even fix simple things like fuel subsidies or refinery operations without turning them into scams.
Many young Nigerians are turning to tech startups, content creation, farming cooperatives, or the “japa” route because they see no future in a system that rewards connection over competence. Why die for Nigeria when Nigeria refuses to invest in Nigerians?This isn’t anti-military talk. Our soldiers are heroes when given half a chance.
They have sacrificed immensely in peace-keeping missions and internal operations. But the institution is being undermined by the very government that controls it.
We are eating our own future.
#FixNigeria #NigerianArmyRecruitment #91RRI #YouthAndSecurity #GoodGovernance #ENDBADLEADERSHIP