Why Nigerian Military Requires 500,000 Personnel to Defeat Insurgency – Former Army Provost
Maj-Gen Pat Akem-Vingir (retd), a former Provost Marshall of the Nigerian Army, has stated that the country’s military needs at least 500,000 personnel to effectively combat terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
In an interview on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political program on Channels Television, Akem-Vingir explained that Nigeria’s current military size, approximately 230,000 personnel according to Global Fire Power, is insufficient to handle the scale of the insurgency. He emphasized the need for greater manpower to hold territories after terrorist groups are dislodged.
“The army is too small. We need at least 500,000 personnel,” the retired general said, noting that many of the military’s gains in the North-East have been undone due to a lack of personnel to secure the areas after clearing operations.
He further explained, “When fighting insurgency, you must capture and hold ground. It takes troops to secure an area. If you clear a territory but do not maintain a presence, the terrorists will simply return.”
In addition to the manpower issue, Maj-Gen Akem-Vingir also addressed the emergence of a new terror group, Lakurawa, which is reportedly causing havoc in Nigeria’s North-West region. He dismissed the group as “one small tiny group” that should not be given undue attention. He cautioned against recognizing or discussing such groups, as it could encourage them to escalate their activities.
He urged the Nigerian government to focus on empowering the military with the necessary equipment, training, and authority to decisively defeat terrorists. According to Akem-Vingir, the president must publicly direct the security agencies to prioritize national security, noting that without security, governance cannot proceed effectively.
“The president needs to give the instruction publicly, so Nigerians know that security is a priority,” he added. “The security agencies should present their needs, and those should be addressed promptly.”
