South East gets first Army training depot after 102 years of neglect
By Jude Okafor, Enugu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a new Military Training Depot for the South East.
It is the first in 102 years. Nigeria has had only one training depot built in Zaria, Kaduna State in 1924.
This meant that every Nigerian including those from the South East seeking to enter the military would need to go to Zaria, in the North underlining the skewed balance of geo-political power in Nigerian history.
Sources made available to Irohinoodua indicated that Kaduna hosts about 14 top military establishment institutions while the entire South East has none.
The institutions are the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) – Located in Afaka, this is Nigeria’s premier military university for training commissioned officers.Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) – Located in Jaji, this institution trains mid-career officers across all branches of the armed forces.Nigerian Army Depot – Located in Zaria, it serves as the primary training center for recruits joining the Nigerian Army.Nigerian Military School (NMS) – Also in Zaria, it is a prestigious military secondary school for junior soldiers.Nigerian Army School of Artillery (NASA) – Situated in Kachia, it is the primary training school for the artillery corps.Nigerian Navy School of Armament Technology (NNSAT) – Also located in Kachia, this facility trains naval personnel in weapons and armament technology.Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) – Situated at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Mando, it is an aerospace engineering and technical training university.Nigerian Army School of Military Police (NASMP) – Located in Bassawa, Zaria, it trains the military police.Nigerian Army School of Legal Services – Also in Bassawa, Zaria, this provides legal training for military officers.1 Division Nigerian Army – Headquartered at the Ribadu Cantonment in Kawo, Kaduna, it is one of the oldest and most strategic divisions in the Nigerian Army.Ground Training Command – Headquartered at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Kaduna, which oversees training for all airmen and airwomen.Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) – Located in the Kaduna metropolis, this is the country’s foremost military hardware and arms manufacturer.
The military depot is believed would serve the interest of over 40 million people that live in the South East and the South South.
The military high command has consistently complained that South Easterners are becoming less enthusiastic in joining the Army which may not be unconnected with the danger of travelling up North for recruitment expecially given the growing spate of terrorism and kidnapping.
The Nigerian Army has also concluded arrangements to recruit and train an additional 28,000 personnel as part of efforts to strengthen its operational capacity and tackle the country’s worsening security challenges.
The Army also reaffirmed its commitment to denying criminal and subversive elements the freedom to operate, stressing that sustained peace and security remain essential to Nigeria’s economic growth and prosperity.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday to herald the 163rd Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL 2026), the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, said the Service would continue to conduct its operations in strict compliance with the rules of engagement, international humanitarian law, and both domestic and international legal frameworks governing the protection of human rights.
The COAS, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Bamidele Alabi, said a key pillar of his vision is the “Soldier-First” culture, which places the welfare of personnel and their families at the heart of operational effectiveness.
He said: “We are also improving our deployment strategies and employing modern technology as a force multiplier in our efforts to quickly degrade all forms of criminality across the country.
“Manpower is as important as the equipment required to fight insecurity. To this end, we have expanded our recruitment scope by establishing another training depot at Amasiri Edda, making it the third institution to train able-bodied civilians for the Nigerian Army, thereby enhancing our manpower.
“With this action, the Nigerian Army is expected to recruit and train an additional 28,000 troops to help stem the tide of insecurity across the country. Accordingly, the Nigerian Army has established additional brigades and units to boost our operations, while continuously reviewing our force structure to cover observed gaps in our deployments to address emerging security challenges across the country.
