This post is for you if you’ve always wanted to join the Nigerian Army but don’t know how to go about it.
We’ll go over everything you need to know in order to make an informed decision about whether or not you want to join the Nigerian Army.
The Nigerian Army is one of the Nigerian Armed Forces’ divisions (other arms include the Navy and the Airforce).
With over 100,000 trained troops, it is also the largest part of the Nigerian Armed Forces, which recruits new personnel every year.
You can learn more about the Nigerian Army’s current requirements and recruitment process by visiting their website.
Enlistment in the Army can be accomplished in a variety of ways. After completing your five-year course at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), those who applied as non-tradesmen or non-tradeswomen, aged 18 to 20, with a minimum of four credits in not more than two sittings in either WASSCE, GCE, NECO, or NABTEB, one of which must be in English, may be enlisted into regular commission.
You can also enlist in the tradesmen/women category if you’re between the ages of 8 and 26 and have the necessary skills for the particular corp you’re applying for.
The academic qualification is usually a minimum of four credits in not more than two sittings in either WASSCE, GCE, NECO or NABTEB, and one of the credits must be in English.
Those enlisted via this category become non-commissioned officers.
In recent years, the Short Service Course (SSC) or the Direct Short Service Course have become the most popular methods of recruiting into the Nigerian Army (DSSC).
The SSC is for those who want to join the Short Service Commission who are interested in army field activities, such as war, combat, or peacekeeping.
After getting accepted into the SSC, you will have 9–12 months of training before being assigned to the army as a second lieutenant.
The DSSC is a nine-month intense military training program for professionals from many disciplines who want to serve as officers in the army’s non-combat services, such as administration.
You will be promoted to lieutenant after completing your training and will be fielded into any of the corps where vacancies exist for your discipline.
General Entry Requirements to Join The Nigerian Army
All applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
- Be a Nigerian as defined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
- Be a male or female between the ages of 23 and 27 by January 2021.
- Be medically, mentally and physically fit according to Nigerian Army Standards.
- Be recommended and attested to his/her good character by at least 2 recognizable referees who is either a Local Government Chairman/Secretary or an officer of the Armed Forces not below the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent or an Assistant Commissioner of Police and above who must hail from the applicant’s state of origin. Passport photographs of referees must be affixed to the letter of attestation.
- Candidates must submit a Letter of Attestation from their former institutions.
- Measure in height at least 1.68m (for male) and 1.65m (for female).
- Must not have been convicted by any court of law. Military personnel must not have any disciplinary case and must be confirmed so by the Commanding Officer/Commander.
- Possess at least a first degree with not less than Second Class Lower Division or HND of not less than Lower Credit in the arts, sciences or humanities from an accredited institution of learning. Courses of study must also be accredited at the time of study.
- Possess valid birth certificate endorsed by the National Population Commission, Hospital or Local Government Council or valid age declaration.
- Possess a valid certificate of state of origin.
- Applicants (other than serving members of the Armed Forces) must possess NYSC discharge certificate or a valid certificate of exemption. Applicants completing NYSC in 2020 are eligible to apply.
- Only post-secondary academic credentials obtained fromYear2015 to date will be considered.
- Applicants must present valid contact addresses and telephone numbers of parent/guardians and Next of Kin.
- Candidates must not have any body inscriptions or tattoos.
- Candidates must tender all original copies of educational certificates (primary to post-secondary).
- Service personnel must present valid military identity cards and letters of recommendations by their Commanding Officers/Commanders. They must also present a valid letter(s) of official sponsorship in tertiary academic institutions. Additionally, they must have served for a minimum period of 5 years in the Armed Forces of Nigeria. All service personnel applicants are under obligation to declare their service status on the application as required by Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Failing to do so constitutes an offence in addition to disqualification at any stage.
- Candidates must not be members of any cult/secret society/fraternity.
See Also: How to get a Job at Chevron Nigeria 2022
NIGERIAN ARMY ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Entry Requirements exclusive to the DSSC includes the following:
- Graduates with professional qualifications must be duly registered by relevant bodies recognized by Nigerian Laws at the commencement of cadet training.
- Currently only academic credentials obtained from 2006 to date are being considered.
- All female applicants are advised to seek for commission into specialist corps e;g Medical, Legal Service or Army Public Relations.
- Must be a male or female between the ages of 22 and 35 years, while medical consultants be not more than 40 years of age at the time of application.
Entry Requirements exclusive to the SSC is includes the following:
- Currently only academic credentials obtained from 2011 to date are being considered.
- Must be a male or female between the ages of 24 and 29 years at the time of application.
For both the DSSC and SSC, all applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
- Be a Nigerian as defined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Be medically, mentally and physically fit according to Nigerian Army standards.
- Be recommended by at least 2 recognizable referees who must attest to the applicant character and integrity. These could be by a Local Government Chairman/Secretary or an officer of the Armed Forces not below the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent or an Assistant Commissioner of Police and above who must hail from the state of the applicant. Passport photographs of referees must be affixed to the letter of attestation.
- Candidates must submit a letter of Attestation from their former institutions.
- Measure at least 1.68m (for male) and 1.65m (for female) in height.
- Must not have been convicted by any court of law. Military personnel must be free from any disciplinary case (This is to be endorsed by the Commanding Officer/Commander).
- Possess at least a first degree with not less than Second Class Lower Division or HND of not less than Lower Credit from any recognized institution of learning.
- Possess valid birth certificate endorsed by the National Population Commission, Hospital or Local Government Council or valid age declaration.
- Possess a valid certificate of state of origin.
- Applicants (Less serving members of the Armed Forces) must possess NYSC discharge certificate or a valid exemption as the case may be.
- Candidates must present contact addresses and telephone numbers of parent/guardians and Next of Kin.
- Candidates must not have any body inscriptions or tattoos.
- Candidates must tender all original copies of educational certificates (primary to post secondary).
- Service personnel must present valid military identity cards and letters of recommendations by their Commanding Officers/Commanders. They must also present valid letter(s) of NA sponsorship in tertiary academic institutions. Additionally, they must have served for a period of not less than 5 years in the unit.
- Candidates must not be members of any cult/society/fraternity.
Also Read: 30 Simple Business Ideas In Canada For Immigrants (2022)
How to join nigerian army as a graduate
The Nigerian army is one of Africa’s most well-organized military forces. It is a Nigerian Armed Forces component (NAF). The Nigerian army is in charge of land warfare both inside and outside the country. The Congo crisis, the Nigerian civil war, the invasion of Gambia, the Sierra Leonean civil war, the first Liberian civil war, the Boko Haram insurgency, the Niger Delta crisis, and the Northern Mali war are only a few of the major actions of the Nigerian army.
In addition, the Nigerian army has led peacekeeping missions in several African countries. Since the start of its peacekeeping missions, the Nigerian army has committed around 20,000 personnel to various UN missions. The National Army Council (NAC) controls the activities of the Nigerian army. The Nigerian army just like any other elite armed forces recruits both commissioned and non-commissioned officers.
Currently, there are four major types of commissioned officers in the Nigerian army. In this article, I shall point out the four major categories and also list out their entry requirements so as to help shed light on the existing lack of clarity on this issue. This will also go a long way in helping those of you who will want to serve his/her fatherland.
The four major types of commissioned officers in the Nigerian army which I shall be discussing in this article are:
1. Regular Commission (RC)
2. Direct Regular Commission (DRC)
3. Short Service Commission (SSC)
4. Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC)
1. Regular Commission (RC)
Nigerian military training takes five years. Cadets are subjected to five years of intense and grueling military training. The Nigeria Defense Academy (NDA) in Kaduna is where cadets are trained. Cadets are frequently given allowances that are simply enough to cover their immediate requirements.
They do not have to pay any fees during their five-year military training in the NDA. Except during holidays, they are not permitted to leave the academy grounds. After graduation, the cadets are assigned the rank of 2nd lieutenant, which they will occupy for 6-12 months before being promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
Read: 20 Best Medical Schools in USA
Requirements for enrollment into the NDA Regular Course (RC)
The NDA currently offers 14 courses which are split into 3 faculties. Requirements for admission in all courses offered are as follows.
a. A total of not less than 5 SSCE credit passes in not more 2 sittings are required.
b. Compulsory credit passes in English language and Mathematics are required.
c. Not less than 3 compulsory credit passes in subjects relevant to the applied course for example, if you intend to apply for Bsc economics, you are required to have at least a credit pass in subjects such as Accounting, Commerce, Geography, History and Government. These subjects are deemed relevant to the course you applied for.
2. Direct Regular Commission (DRC)
Officers who join the army on a Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC) have the opportunity to change to a Direct Regular Commission (DRC) after a certain period of time, precisely 3 years after commission into the force. Officers who have been commissioned as DSSC are eligible for conversion to DRC.
Their service year is extended beyond the customary ten years once they are converted to DRC. DRC’s are not deployed for combat missions. They are usually army professionals like doctors, attorneys, nurses, artisans, and so on.
Requirements for enlistment into the Direct Regular Commission (DRC)
a. You must be commissioned into the service as a DSSC.
b. Conversion to DRC can only be possible after 3 years of commission as an officer.
3. Short Service Commission (SSC)
The SSC program lasts 6 to 9 months. Successfully commissioned officers are educated to fight battles throughout this time. It is usually of short duration except when conversion to Regular Commission (RC) is made.
The short duration is due to the fact that 6 years of service is usually on active renewable energy. After that, you’ll have a three-year opportunity to switch to an RC. If conversion is not done or is unsuccessful, there will be no extension after the three years.
Officers who finish their 6-9 month military school satisfactorily are promoted to 2nd lieutenant. They keep this rank for no more than 18-24 months before being promoted to lieutenant.Conversion from SSC to RC is not automatic, it is usually based on available vacancies or other criteria which will always be made known by the army.
Requirements for enlistment into the Short Service Commission (SSC)
a. You must be a Nigerian.
b. You must be between the age of 24 to 29 years.
c. You must possess at least a first degree of not less than Second Class Lower Division or HND of not less than Lower Credit in the arts, sciences or humanities from any recognised institution.
d. You must not be less than 1.68m in height.
e. You must possess the NYSC discharge certificate or a notification of exemption.
f. You must not be an ex-convict.
g. You must be recommended by at least 2 recognizable referees, in the case of a serving officer he/she must be recommended by his/her commanding officer.
4. Direct Short Service Commision (DSSC)
DSSC training normally lasts 6 to 9 months. This type of training is usually less demanding than RC and SSC. The DSSC is made up of experts from various fields as well as artisans. These officers have enlisted in the army for reasons other than fighting. For 6-9 months, professionals such as doctors, nurses, lawyers, and craftspeople are enlisted and trained.
They are commissioned as DSSC officers after completing their training. DSSC officers, like SSC officers, are given a ten-year service period after which they are offered the option to convert to DRC after ten years of service as Nigerian army officers. DSSC officers are not dispatched on combat missions, yet they are still required to undergo a period of military training, usually 6 months.
DSSC officers are commissioned with the rank of a 2nd lieutenant, a position they hold for 18-24 months before being automatically promoted to the rank of a lieutenant.
Requirements for enrollment into the Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC)
a. You must be a Nigerian.
b. You must be between the age of 24 to 29 years.
c. You must possess at least a first degree of not less than Second Class Lower Division or HND of not less than Lower Credit in the arts, sciences or humanities from any recognised institution.
d. You must not be less than 1.68m in height.
e. You must possess the NYSC discharge certificate or a notification of exemption.
f. You must not be an ex-convict.
g. You must be recommended by at least 2 recognizable referees, in the case of a serving officer, he/she must be recommended by his/her commanding officer.
Successful applicants are required to present their printed photo-slip to the selection board during interview.
You might also want to read about How To Save Foreign Currency In A Nigerian Bank
METHOD OF APPLICATION TO JOIN NIGERIAN ARMY
All applications are to be made online at the portal, and it is totally free, you do not need to buy any scratch cards or pay anything to anybody.
- Ensure all required documents are uploaded:
– passport photograph.
– educational certificates.
– evidence of membership of any professional body.
– certificate of state of origin.
– birth certificate or age declaration. - Click on ‘Login’ to complete the application form.
- After registering successfully, you will receive an email notification containing your login details.
- From the Home Page, Select SSC or DSSC application, as the case may be.
- Read the Qualification Criteria.
- Open the portal, that is www.nigerianarmyms.ng, to create an account.
- Applicants must print out their online generated photo-slip on completion of their application. The first page is to be signed by a Court of Law and the second page is to be signed by the Local Government Chairman/Secretary or any military officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or equivalent and above who hails from your state.
Note
- Successful applicants would be required to take a written examination at selected examination centres selected by applicants or assigned as appropriate. Successful candidates would also present their printed photo-slips at Examination Centres and subsequently to the Selection Board during the interview.
- Caution: The general public is advised to disregard any online application portal opened before this publication
- Prospective applicants and the general public are to also watch out for subsequent jingles on Television and Radio stations after this publication
- The portal provides for both Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC) and Short Service Combatant (SSC). You are advised to read and understand the types of commission before proceeding to apply.
See Also:
- 15 Best Sites to Download Nollywood Movies in 2022
- Davido Receives Diamond Necklace And A Barrel Of Whiskey From Martell Cognac
- DStv Packages, Channels List And Prices in Nigeria 2022
Conditions of Service TO JOIN NIGERIAN ARMY
SSC will be granted for 15 years. Ten years will be on active list renewable thereafter for a period, not more than 5 years. No extension shall be granted after the fifteenth year of commission except on conversion to regular combatant commission where applicable.
- Officer cadets who successfully complete the military training shall be granted the rank of second lieutenant with seniority effective date of commencement of cadet training.
- Conversion to regular combatant commission is not automatic. It is based on the availability of vacancy and other criteria that are or will be in force from time to time.
- All graduating officer cadets must sign an acceptance of the terms and conditions governing the Short Service Combatant Commission before they are granted commission into the Nigerian Army.
- The reckonable period of service for civilians who become commissioned officers will be based on the date of commencement of cadet training while that of military personnel applicants would be effective date of enlistment.