The Federal Government has dismissed reports that it’s planning to introduce mandatory military service for youths.
Speaking during the presentation of a publication titled “Serving the Nation: Exploring Mandatory Military Service for Nigerian Youths” in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), said there was no truth to the claim.
Musa stated that the government remains committed to a professional volunteer armed forces supported by civic national service programmes.
The minister, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties, Col. George Usibe, said the country’s security architecture is based on a professional volunteer military complemented by civic national service, particularly the National Youth Service Corps.
He said, “Across the world, approaches to national service vary considerably.
“While a number of countries maintain mandatory military service as part of their defence architecture, a larger proportion operate professional volunteer armed forces supported by civic national service, reserve systems, and community preparedness frameworks.
“Our Armed Forces operate as a professional volunteer military dedicated to defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic while supporting civil authorities in addressing internal security challenges.
“This professional force is complemented by civic national service through the National Youth Service Corps, which continues to play a vital role in promoting national integration, exposure, and youth engagement across our diverse federation. Additional youth-oriented and community-based platforms further contribute to resilience and civic responsibility within our society.
“It is therefore important to state clearly that there is presently no policy to introduce mandatory military service in Nigeria.”
The minister noted that global experience shows that security challenges, such as insurgency and terrorism, are not determined solely by manpower. He added that effective governance, capable institutions, and strong citizen–state relations are critical to sustainable security.
While ruling out compulsory military training, Musa said the government remained open to scholarly inquiry and public dialogue on national service, stressing that any future policy consideration must align with constitutional provisions, economic realities, and institutional capacity.
“The Federal Government recognises that scholarly inquiry and constructive public dialogue remain indispensable to policy evolution. Ideas must be examined, assumptions tested, and perspectives shared within the marketplace of national thought. In this regard, the publication being presented today represents a commendable effort to stimulate evidence-based discussion on an issue of strategic relevance,” he said.
