Defence Minister Demands Mandatory Military Training for All Nigerians
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has called for every Nigerian to undergo military training, saying the experience would help citizens understand discipline, endurance and the sacrifices involved in protecting the country.
Musa said military training would expose Nigerians to the realities faced by soldiers, including hunger, fatigue, long periods without sleep and the physical demands of operating in difficult environments.
The minister made the comment while explaining why he believes ordinary citizens should have a better understanding of the work carried out by members of the Armed Forces.
“Every Nigerian should undergo military training to understand what it means to stay hungry and learn what endurance means” — Defence Minister Christopher Musa.
According to Musa, the experience would give Nigerians a different perspective about life and the responsibilities associated with protecting the country.
He said citizens who go through such training would understand what it means to continue moving even when physically exhausted, hungry or deprived of normal comfort.
“On my way, every Nigerian should be able to go through military training. I can tell you for free. It will give you a different perspective about life. You will now understand what it means to stay hungry, what it means to walk in days without sleep. It will show you what endurance means, that when you walk kilometers and you are tired but you still need to keep up going. You have not eaten, you have not taken one because of the nature of the thing and because you are doing it to protect. Just like what the Bible says that there’s no greater friend than he who will give his life for his friend.”
“And that’s exactly what the military men are doing, putting their lives at stake for their country to move around. And so that’s why sometimes it’s very painful when you see people insulting the military and telling them they don’t need or we don’t want this to end. Nobody’s dying now, doesn’t want it to end. Everybody wants peace. And I think that’s very important. And so we always try to let them understand that, look, these people we are talking to, they are fathers, they are brothers, they are sisters of people.”
“They have families that they’ve left behind. Staying there, whether it is rain, it is dust, it is night, it is day, they are working, making sure that the country is secured. So I think they deserve some commendation.”
The comment by the Defence Minister come at a time when the role of citizens in national security has continued to attract attention.
Nigeria is still dealing with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity in different parts of the country.
However, the remarks should be distinguished from an earlier clarification by the Defence Ministry on compulsory military service.
In February 2026, Musa, through a representative, said the Federal Government had no plan to introduce mandatory military service or compulsory military training for Nigerian youths.
The clarification was made at the presentation of a book on mandatory military service and was presented as the government’s position at the time.
Musa has repeatedly called for greater public support for the Armed Forces.
In June 2026, he urged Nigerians to remain supportive of security agencies and said some media personalities would be exposed to the realities faced by troops during operations.
He said such exposure could help them better understand the challenges confronting soldiers in the field.
The Defence Minister had also previously encouraged Nigerians to acquire basic combat and self-defence skills.
In August 2025, while serving as Chief of Defence Staff, Musa described skills such as karate, taekwondo and judo as useful survival abilities, comparing them with learning to drive or swim.
