The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has called for military training to be made accessible to every Nigerian, saying it would instil discipline, resilience, teamwork and patriotism.
Musa made the proposal during an interview on the African Leadership Podcast hosted by Ken Giami and released on YouTube on Monday.
According to the minister, exposure to military training would give Nigerians a better understanding of the challenges faced by members of the armed forces and the sacrifices involved in protecting the country.
“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.
He explained that military training could help people develop endurance by exposing them to difficult conditions and teaching them how to persevere despite hardship.
“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. It will show you what endurance means,” he said.
Musa, who joined the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1991, also appealed to Nigerians to recognise the sacrifices made by military personnel.
He said soldiers often operated in difficult conditions while separated from their families, adding that criticism that undermined their morale could affect their performance.
“They have families that they’ve left behind, staying there, whether it is rain, it is dust, it is night, it is day. They are walking, making sure that the country is secure. So I think they deserve some commendation,” the minister said.
Speaking about the importance of teamwork, Musa said military service teaches personnel that national security cannot be achieved through individual efforts.
“No man is an island. So you need a team, and the military is a team that works together. So that’s very critical for us,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that his military career had significantly affected his family life, revealing that he spent long periods away from his wife and children.
“Like I told people, for the first 17 years of our marriage, I never spent 30 days at a stretch with my family,” Musa said.
On Nigeria’s security challenges, the defence minister said defeating insurgency and other forms of insecurity would require both military operations and non-military measures.
He explained that while kinetic operations remained necessary, addressing poverty, infrastructure deficits, healthcare, education and other social challenges was equally important.
Musa said, “In dealing with insurgency, you need both working together, both the kinetic, which is about 25, 30 per cent. Seventy per cent is about non-kinetic.”
He further urged Nigerians to develop a stronger sense of patriotism, arguing that love for the country was essential to its development and security.
“I think the important thing is for Nigerians to believe in the country. That’s very critical. If you don’t love your country, you can’t defend it,” he said.
Musa assured Nigerians that the military would continue to work towards restoring peace and security across the country.
