In a concerted effort to address the issue of underrepresentation, the Nigeria Army in Rivers state has initiated a recruitment campaign to encourage local youths, particularly from Rivers and Delta states, to join its ranks.
Brig.-Gen. Timi Mackintosh, Team Leader of the Department of Administration, Sensitisation, and Advertisement for the Nigeria Army 86 Intake, made this announcement during a meeting with the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Rivers state, Tammy Danagogo, held in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Mackintosh highlighted the concern of Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), regarding the significantly low representation of Rivers state indigenes in the army’s recent recruitment drives. He mentioned that for the 84th and 85th regular intakes, Rivers state failed to meet even 60 percent of its recruitment quota.
Recognizing this disparity, COAS Lagbaja dispatched the army’s recruitment team to engage with the local population and encourage more individuals to consider a career in the army.
Mackintosh assured prospective recruits that the army would provide support in various areas, including education and medical services. He noted that while the minimum academic requirement is four credits, the army has a history of assisting individuals who joined with minimal qualifications in pursuing advanced degrees, such as PhDs and Masters. This support demonstrates that recruits do not require any personal connections to join the army; they need only meet the established criteria, including Nigerian citizenship, proof of Rivers state origin, and meeting the physical, medical, and psychological fitness standards.
In response, SSG Tammy Danagogo commended the army for its efforts to recruit more Rivers state residents and urged local youths to seize this opportunity to serve their nation. The state government pledged to initiate a sensitization campaign to raise awareness and encourage greater participation in the ongoing army recruitment process.
Danagogo identified a lack of information and ignorance as contributing factors to the low turnout of potential recruits in previous recruitment exercises. He emphasized the importance of empowering and gainfully employing the local population and expressed a desire for Rivers state residents to have a fair representation in elite groups like the military.
Furthermore, he appealed to the army hierarchy to create opportunities for Rivers state indigenes to join the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) as officers and to keep the state government informed of such opportunities when they arise. This step would further strengthen the presence of local individuals in the armed forces and address the issue of underrepresentation.
