Global InformationNigerian Armed Forces information
| Nigerian Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Nigerian Armed Forces | |
   Emblem of the Nigerian Armed Forces by service branches | |
| Current form | 1960 |
| Service branches |  Nigerian Army Nigerian Navy Nigerian Air Force |
| Headquarters | Nigerian Defence Headquarters, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President Bola Tinubu |
| Defence Minister | Mohammed Badaru Abubakar |
| Minister of State for Defence | Bello Matawalle |
| Chief of Defence Staff | General Christopher Musa NA |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 17 with parental consent, 18 for voluntary service. |
| Conscription | No |
| Active personnel | 230,000[1] |
| Reserve personnel | 0[2][3] |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $2.867 billion (₦2.5 trillion)[4] |
| Percent of GDP | 5% (2022)[4] |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers |  Australia Brazil Belgium China Canada France Germany India Pakistan Poland Portugal Republic of Korea Russia South Africa United States United Kingdom |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Nigeria
List of engagements
|
| Ranks | Military ranks of Nigeria |
The Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF) are the military forces of Nigeria. The armed forces consist of three service branches: the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, and Nigerian Air Force. The President of Nigeria functions as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, exercising his constitutional authority through the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for the management of the military and its personnel. The operational head of the AFN is the Chief of Defence Staff, who is subordinate to the Nigerian Defence Minister. With a force of more than 230,000 active personnel, the Nigerian military is one of the largest uniformed combat services in Africa.[5] According to Global Firepower, the Nigerian Armed Forces are the fourth-most powerful military in Africa, and ranked 35th on its list, internationally.[6]
The Nigerian Armed Forces were established in 1960 as the successor to the combat units of the Royal West African Frontier Force stationed in the country, which had previously served as the British Empire's multi-battalion field force, during Nigeria's protectorate period. Since its creation, the Nigerian military has fought in a civil war – the conflict with Biafra in 1967–70 – and sent peacekeeping forces abroad, both with the United Nations and as the backbone of the Economic Community of West African States Cease-fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia and Sierra Leone. It has also seized power twice at home (1966 & 1983).[7] Nigeria's armed forces would continue to remain an active element in combat operations throughout the African continent over the proceeding decades, with notable engagements including its 2017 involvement as part of the ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia.[8]
- ^ "Armed forces personnel, total – Data". Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- ^ "Nigeria Military Strength". Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- ^ "Disenchanted soldiers". Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Nigeria 2021 Signed Budget - Pages 22 - 51". Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ "Armed forces personnel, total – Data". Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- ^ "Nigeria Military Strength". Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ "Gowon Ousted in Nigeria; Coup ends Nine-Year Rule". The New York Times. 1975-07-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
- ^ "Nigeria sends troops, jets to Senegal for Gambia force". Yahoo.com. 2017-01-18. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-07-15.