This is to allow more citizens join the army and make more soldiers available to execute the war against terrorism in the North-East region of the country, documents sighted by SaharaReporters have revealed.
As part of the basic requirement for enlistment into the Nigerian Army, interested applicants must now possess “a minimum of four passes in not more than two sittings in WASSCE, GCE, NECO or NABTEB at O’ Level including English Language”, the document said.
In the internal memo dated August 20 and signed by Lieutenant General L. O. Adeosun on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, he lamented that soldiers were reluctant to dedicate themselves to the fight against insurgency and banditry in the country.
He said that soldiers preferred to take less risky jobs or further their education in order to avoid being enlisted into battle zones.
Adeosun therefore directed that the academic requirement for enlistment into the Nigerian Army be lowered to encourage more members of the public to join the army.
The memo reads, “It has however been observed that a sizeable number of enlisted men and women are reluctant to dedicate themselves to the ongoing Nigerian Army operations against insurgents and bandits.
“They prefer instead to pursue other less risky endeavours or further their education in view of possessing their requisite educational qualification to gain admission into tertiary institutions.
“This is all in a bid to avoid participating in Nigerian Army operations which ought to be a priority. This undesirable trend could be attributed to the emphasis placed on educational qualifications at the expense of passion and commitment to what a soldier stands for.
“Consequently, I am directed to convey that henceforth, the minimum educational qualification for enlistment into the Nigerian Army shall be the SSCE or its equivalent with minimum of passes including English Language.
“This review would ensure that more willing and committed young Nigerians are given the opportunity to serve in the Nigerian Army without laying emphasis on educational qualifications.”
This reduction in academic qualification has now been put in place and effected by the Nigerian Army, according to checks by SaharaReporters.
