No Compulsory Military Training for Youths – Defence Minister Clarifies

The Federal Government has dismissed reports that it plans to introduce compulsory military service for Nigerian youths, clarifying that there is no intention to enforce mandatory enlistment.

The clarification was made on Friday by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), who spoke during the presentation of a book titled Serving the Nation: Exploring Mandatory Military Service for Nigerian Youths. He was represented at the event by Col. George Usibe, Deputy Director of Special Duties.

“The Federal Government has no policy to introduce mandatory military service in Nigeria at present,” the minister stressed, noting that suggestions to the contrary were unfounded. Instead, Gen. Musa reiterated that the country’s military will continue to operate as a professional volunteer force, supported by existing civic service programmes.

Gen. Musa highlighted that youth engagement in national development continues through established initiatives such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which aims to foster national unity and expose young Nigerians to diverse cultures across the country.

He said security challenges like insurgency and terrorismcan nott be resolved solely through manpower increases. Instead, the minister stressed that effective governance, strong institutions, and trust between citizens and the government are essential pillars in confronting insecurity.

While Gen. Musa acknowledged the value of structured national service in promoting unity, discipline and civic responsibility, he emphasised that any future policy in this area would need to align with constitutional provisions, economic realities, and institutional capacity.

The minister also noted that the ongoing national conversation on youth service provides an opportunity for scholarly and public input, but insisted the government is not pursuing compulsory military conscription at this time