The Region is Losing Out": Nigerian Army Pleads with South-East Youth to Join Military Recruitment

The Nigerian Army has launched a high-level sensitisation campaign in Umuahia, Abia State, following alarming reports of low recruitment participation from the South-East zone. During the event held on March 6, 2026, military leaders and stakeholders gathered to address the growing trend of local youths shunning national service opportunities.

​The campaign, organised by the Department of Civil-Military Affairs, brought together traditional rulers, civil society groups, and youth leaders to dismantle misconceptions about military life. Major General Musa Awwal Etsu-Ndagi, the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, explained that the initiative is a direct response to the "stark figures" showing that the South-East is significantly underrepresented in recent recruitment exercises.

​Shunning the Service ​and Growing Gap in Participation

​The guest lecturer, Retired Major General Gold Chibuisi, issued a direct appeal to the youths of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states to heed the national call. He emphasized that the Army is not just about combat but offers diverse career paths in fields like: Medicine,​Law, ​Engineering.

​General Chibuisi was quick to address regional fears, assuring applicants of fair promotions, robust welfare packages, and an absence of ethnic bias in deployments. He specifically dismissed rumors that soldiers from certain regions are deliberately sent to more dangerous postings, urging parents to encourage their children to enlist.

​Retired Major General Chukwunedum Abraham presented data that highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that the region is currently "losing out" on its allotted quotas. The figures from recent exercises tell a troubling story:

• ​Imo State recorded only 671 applicants.
• ​Ebonyi State saw a mere 428 applicants.
• ​These figures fall far below participation rates in other geopolitical zones.

​The Army warned that these unfilled quotas mean the South-East will lack adequate representation in the nation's security architecture in the years to come. Leaders at the event concluded that while the military is ready to welcome the youth, the "rugged, no-nonsense" determination to serve must come from the community itself.

​Read also: The Abba Kyari Acquittal: Court Clears Suspended DCP of Asset Declaration Charges