Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has said he would support military training for every Nigerian, arguing that such exposure would help citizens understand the demands and sacrifices of members of the armed forces.
Musa made the remarks during an interview on the African Leadership Podcast hosted by Ken Giami, in an episode released on YouTube around September 21, 2026.
“For me, I think it’s the best. If I have my way, every Nigerian should be able to go through military training,” Musa said.
“I can tell you for free. It will give you a different perspective about life. You will now understand what it means to stay hungry, what it means to walk in days without sleep.”
The minister said military-style training could expose citizens to the physical and psychological demands faced by soldiers, including endurance, deprivation and prolonged periods of strenuous activity.
“It will show you what endurance means, that when you walk kilometres and you are tired, but you still need to keep up going. You have not eaten… because of the nature of the thing,” he said.
Musa linked the experience to the sacrifices made by military personnel who operate in difficult conditions, risk their lives and spend extended periods away from their families while carrying out their duties.
“And because you are doing it to protect. Just like what the Bible says, that there’s no greater friend than he who will give his life for his friend,” he added.
The minister said criticism directed at members of the armed forces could be difficult for personnel when members of the public did not fully understand the conditions under which they operated.
His comments came during a broader discussion on Nigeria’s security challenges, including insurgency, kidnapping, the limitations of relying solely on military force and the social and local factors contributing to crime.
Musa also discussed the need for non-kinetic approaches to counter-insurgency and the development of Nigeria’s domestic defence industry, while highlighting the personal and family costs associated with military service.
The remarks do not amount to an announcement of compulsory military service. In February 2026, Musa said there was no plan to introduce mandatory military service for Nigerian youths, noting that Nigeria operates a professional volunteer military alongside civic programmes such as the National Youth Service Corps.
Musa had also, while serving as Chief of Defence Staff in 2025, encouraged Nigerians to acquire basic combat and self-defence skills, including martial arts. He suggested that elements of such training could be incorporated into the NYSC programme as practical survival skills.
Musa, a retired infantry officer and Nigerian Defence Academy 38th Regular Course alumnus, was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1991. He served as Chief of Defence Staff from June 2023 until October 2025 before becoming Minister of Defence in December 2025 under President Bola Tinubu.
No official implementation plan for nationwide military training has been announced following the minister’s latest remarks.
