By Okey Ikechukwu Our people say that a lion that has been without food for a month will not be at its prime, in terms of fighting strength. Our people also say that the roar of a lion with breathing problems may come dangerously close to sounding like the mewing of a hungry house cat. In sum, an army must be an army, not a Boys’ Scout Movement, not a vigilante groups and not a rag-tag neighbourhood security group. It must be professional, disciplined, capacitated and running the tripod of (1) Seasoned strategic preeminence, (2) Operational effectiveness and (3) Well-choreographed logistics for desired end-states. Against the background of the foregoing, I venture to say here today that the Nigerian Army is in dire straits. Not because it is not professional or well led, but because it is hamstrung by forces the public is not seeing, or at least not seeing very clearly. It was reported a few weeks ago that the Service had only received seven per cent (7%) of its budgetary allocation for 2026. This was not refuted. The muffled talks about delays in the payment of ‘Retirement Benefit’ to senior officers who retired since September 2025 is still in the air. Below the fancy political talk of the government, about “quickly ending insurgency”, are the operational and logistics needs of the Nigerian military being me? As a fighting force, it is currently underfunded, underequipped and overstretched. Its capacity and ability to perform is being misrepresented. The many constraints are not seen by some commentators who often venture into the public domain with half-truths and outright lies. Thus, the army is not sufficiently appreciated by a civilian population that cannot see below the surface. Not many of us know about the challenges of prolonged theatre exposure of soldiers beyond reasonable operational time limits. Not many know of occasional prolonged delays in procurement, the challenge of low supplies and the hamstringing of the top echelons by the absence of desperately needed financial and other resources. But that is for another day, because our task on this page today is NADCEL, and matters arising therefrom. The African Land Forces Forum (ALFF) adjunct to the just concluded Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) threw up some very disturbing, if not outrightly distressing and embarrassing, issues that bear some discussion here. But, first, some paragraphs on NDACEL. This is an annual event organized to commemorate the history, evolution, achievements, and service of the Nigerian Army. Beyond parades and other activities, the celebration traces the Army’s institutional origins to the formation of the Glover Hausas in 1863. It offers us the opportunity to see, and dwell on, the Army’s transformation from its early beginnings into a modern land force responsible for safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity and supporting national security. In addition, NADCEL is also an occasion to honour serving personnel and commemorate officers and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our fatherland. Beyond its commemorative function, it serves as a platform for institutional assessment and public engagement. The army uses this annual even to review operational achievements, evaluate readiness for current and emerging security challenges, showcase capabilities and technological advancements, and communicate future priorities. For the record, the activities typically include public lectures, historical and research exhibitions, operational displays, religious services, medical outreaches, civil-military cooperation projects, and the presentation of awards to distinguished personnel. Through these activities, the Army reinforces its relationship with the public and demonstrates its commitment to professionalism, national unity, and constitutional responsibility. I was at NADCEL 2025, which held in Kaduna, as Chief Examiner for the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) art and literary competition. It was well organized, colorful and a celebration of some intellectual dimension to civil-military relations and ‘catching them young’. My presence at the equally very well organized event of 2026 was however, largely unofficial, in the sense that it was a call from the African Lands Forces Forum (ALFF) that got me involved on an aspect of the activities. This 163rd edition of NADCEL lasted from the 3rd to the 6th of July 2026. It was themed “Protecting the Nation and Serving the People: A Way Forward for the Nigerian Army” and reflected the Army’s dual responsibility of, first, protecting the country against terrorism, insurgency, banditry, separatist violence, and other threats; and second, remaining perpetually responsive to the population through professional conduct, respect for democratic authority, civil-military cooperation, and support for communities affected by insecurity. This
Don't miss out on breaking stories and in-depth articles.
