The Nigerian Army is a vital component of the Nigerian Armed Forces, responsible for safeguarding the nation's land. Alongside the Navy and Air Force, the Army plays a crucial role in maintaining Nigeria's security. Understanding the ranks within the Nigerian Army is essential for anyone interested in joining its ranks or simply seeking to learn more about its structure and operations.
Becoming an armed forces member is a dignifying goal for anyone who wants to serve their country. A soldier's military rank determines their level of responsibility and pay grade. The military ranks are displayed on the soldiers' uniforms. A series of symbols such as stripes, chevrons, bars, and stars on the officers' uniforms help in the identification of their ranks.
Nigerian Army ranks, symbols, and salaries. Photo: canva.com (modified by author) Source: UGC
A Brief History of the Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army has a rich history that can be traced back to 1863 when Lt. Glover, a British Naval officer, established “Glover’s Hausas.” This small group of runaway slaves played a crucial role in protecting British trade routes by embarking on expeditions into the hinterland. The core of the Nigerian Army was first formed in 1900 as the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). They participated in World War II as part of the 1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade, the 81st and the 82nd (West Africa) Divisions also fought in East Africa and Asia. Nigeria became independent in 1960 and renamed the Nigerian Military Force (NMF) the Royal Nigerian Army (RNA). The Nigerian Army ranks, uniforms, and instruments also changed in 1960. The Nigerian Army Council (NAC) governs the Army.
Historically, people of the region now known as ‘Nigeria‘ had their own military force, prior to the British conquest of the area. However, in 1900, the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) in Nigeria under the British crown and control. As a member of the Commonwealth, and a former British colony, the Nigerian Army ranks and salary structure is modeled after the British Army to some extent, although, this is rapidly changing as the force modernizes.
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Functions of the Nigerian Army
As with every other military force globally, the Nigerian Army has been assigned a stipulated roles and duties which are enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, these roles are to be uphold and fulfil at any cost. Today, the Nigerian Army is responsible for the defence and protection of the country and the Nigerian Constitution. For several years, the Nigerian Army has been in intense battle with terrorism in the Lake Chad, and the Northeastern region of Nigeria.
The duties of the Nigerian Army include:
- Ensure Nigeria’s sovereignty by defending the country from foreign and domestic threats.
- Maintaining Nigeria’s territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation.
- Assist Civil authorities in case of National emergencies as long as it is prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
The current Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai’s personal vision is “To have a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles.” While the Nigerian Armed Forces Mission statement is “To produce operational-level Armed Forces officers of the highest professional competence and training as well as to ensure standardization of Staff Duties in the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
Nigerian Army operations includes Peacekeeping operations (PKO). Nigerian Army Officers who are deployed on a peacekeeping operations gets additional stipends. Historically, people of the region now known as ‘Nigeria‘ had their own military force, prior to the British conquest of the area.
Nigeria Army Ranks
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Structure of the Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army has a very defined rank structure, where every position has its meaning, status and signs. By looking at a soldier's uniform, you can tell who they are and what they do (and even how much they earn). The Nigerian Army comprises non-commissioned and commissioned officers. Today, the Nigerian Army is governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). It is organized into combat arms or Corps, Departments, and Formations.
Nigerian soldiers march during 58th anniversary celebrations of Nigerian independence, in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigerian Army Corps
- Infantry Corps Centre (ICC)
- Armoured Corps (NAAC)
- Corps of Artillery (NACA)
- Engineers Corps (NAE)
- Army Signals (NAS)
- Intelligence Corps(NAIC)
- Medical Corps (NAMC)
- Corps of Supply and Transport (NACST)
- Electrical and Mechanical Corps (NAEME)
- Ordinance Corps (NAOC)
- Corps of Military Police (NACMP)
- Education Corps (NAEC)
- Finance Corps (NAFC)
- Directorate of Army Physical Training (DAPT)
- Band Corps (NABC)
- Chaplain Services Roman Catholic (RC)
- CHAPLAIN SERVICES PROTESTANT
- Directorate of Islamic Affairs (DOIA)
- Directorate of Army Public Relations (DAPR)
- Directorate of Legal Services (Army) (DLS ‘A’)
Nigerian Army Departments
- Department of Army Administration
- Department of Army Policy and Plan
- Department of Army Training and Operations
- Department of Army Logistics
- Department of Civil Military Affairs
- Welfare Limited/ Guarantee
- Army Transformation and Innovation Centre
- Directorate of Army Public Relations
Nigerian Army Formations
- 1 Division, headquartered in Kaduna
- 2 Division (HQ in Ibadan)
- 3 Armoured Division HQ in Jos
- 6th Amphibious Division HQ Port Harcourt
- 7th Infantry Division (OP-LD) HQ in Maiduguri
- 8th Division HQ Sokoto
- 81st Division (Amphibious) HQ in Lagos
- 82nd Division (Airborne and Amphibious) HQ in Enugu
- Guards Brigade HQ in Abuja
Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) located in Minna is responsible for doctrinal, training and combat development, and supervises training centers. There are 17 Corps Training Schools and the Nigerian Army College of Logistics (NACOL).
Nigerian Army Ranks
The Nigerian Army ranks provide an orderly leadership system that indicates each soldier's level of expertise, responsibility, and authority in the military. The ranks also instil discipline and the notion of duty and responsibility among the soldiers. Nigerian Army ranks takes its root from the British Army which it was derived from, and is divided into two distinct cadres this are:
- Commissioned Officers
- Non-commissioned Officers
Nigerian Army Ranks for Non-Commissioned Officers
Nigerian Army Non-commissioned officers’ ranks are those that enlisted through the direct recruitment process, they are referred to as the “rank and file”. They bear the brunt of any military operations are the are usually at the lower echelon of the formation. Nigerian Army Non-commissioned officers are usually O-Level degrees or other lower diplomas in recognized subjects.
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The Non-commissioned officers are usually trained for six months before they are deployed. Their roles include maintenance, handling weapons, and explosives, K-9s, base defense, administration, VIP protection, Special Warfare, direct actions, search and rescue, and medicals. There are eight ranks of the non-commissioned officers in the Nigerian Army.
- Recruit/Trainee - It is the lowest rank in the Nigerian Army. The rank is for recruits who do not have insignia. Prospective trainees can visit the Nigerian Army recruitment portal for recruitment. Sometimes, a trainee might get one shoulder mark.
- Private Soldier - This is the second rank after the trainee position.
- Lance Corporal - This is slightly higher than the recruit/trainee position, but the second-lowest officer rank. A Lance Corporal receives a one-shoulder mark.
- Corporal - A Corporal has two shoulder marks and oversees a troop's body.
- Sergeant - A Sergeant gets three shoulder marks and is a junior non-commissioned officer.
- Staff Sergeant- This is a senior non-commissioned rank. A Staff Sergeant has three shoulder marks and a golden eagle on top.
- Warrant Officer/Sergeant First Class - Its insignia is the golden eagle surrounded by a matching golden crown made of olive leaves. A Warrant Officer is an assistant to the Master Sergeant.
- Master Warrant Officer/Master Sergeant - These Nigerian Army officers rank highest among the non-commissioned officers and are in charge of military equipment. The insignia of the Master Warrant Officer/Master Sergeant is the Nigerian Coat of Arms, where the horses are silver and the rest is gold.
Nigerian Army Ranks for Commissioned Officers
The Nigerian Army has commissioned officers who are graduates of military academies. There are 11 rankings for commissioned officers. Nigerian Army commissioned officers’ ranks are those who were enlisted through the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA), the Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC), or through the Short Service Commission. The Commissioned Officers are mostly graduates with a degree or diploma in recognized course, their salaries are quite higher than those of the Non-commissioned cadre. They are more involved in decision-making and leadership in the Nigerian Army.
- Second Lieutenant - The second lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer rank in the Nigerian Army.
- First Lieutenant- This officer has two vertically aligned silver stars on the shoulders. A First Lieutenant is the Captain's deputy.
- Captain - A Captain gets three vertically aligned silver stars on the shoulders. This is the highest rank among the tactical troop organisations.
- Major - A Major has a silver eagle on each shoulder. It is among the lowest field officer ranks in the Nigerian Army.
- Lieutenant Colonel - A Lieutenant Colonel is the Colonel's deputy. The officer wears a vertically aligned silver star and a silver eagle on each shoulder. This is a mid-level rank among the field officers.
- Colonel - A Colonel has two silver stars and a silver eagle (all vertically aligned) on each shoulder. The officer is at the top of the field officer hierarchy and the bottom of the commissioned officer hierarchy. In addition, the Colonel is responsible for the regiments.
- Brigadier General - These officers are in charge of brigades. A Brigadier General wears three silver stars on each shoulder. The officer has a golden emblem of the crossed sword and baton below a golden eagle on each shoulder.
- Major General - The insignia of a major general carries an eagle with a baton and sword below it.
- Lieutenant General - It is the third-highest rank in the Nigerian Army. Lieutenant Generals have the vertically aligned emblem of the crossed sword and baton, a star and an eagle, all in gold and on the shoulders.
- The General - The officer wears a vertically aligned crossed sword and baton, two stars and the eagle, all in gold and on both shoulders. It is the second-highest rank in the Nigerian Army.
- Army Field Marshal/General of the Army - This is the highest rank in the Nigerian Army. An Army Field Marshal should wear an emblem of the crossed sword and baton surrounded by two branches and an eagle on top, all in gold and on both shoulders.
What Does the Nigerian Army Flag Mean?
The Nigerian Army has a flag with deep meaning. The flag has an eagle on top of a shaded six-pointed star with Arabic writing on the red-black-red backdrop. Here are their meanings:
- The eagle stands for the grace and power of the army. Like an eagle, the army keeps watch in times of peace and strikes the enemies with frightening precision in times of war.
- The star represents the unity of Nigeria, created in 1914. What seems like a shadow is a black star merged with the yellow one. The two stars stand for the Southern and Northern Protectorates united to create Nigeria.
- The Arabic writing is the Nigerian Army's motto. It means Victory Comes from God Alone.
- Red stands for the enemy forces, and it is customary in NATO to use this colour in the military elements. Black represents the cavalry and other troops.
Nigerian Army Salary Structure
Soldiers in the Nigerian Army are paid according to rank and years of service, that is, the Nigerian Army salary structure is based on the ranks and educational qualification of the officers. There are different remuneration packages for different ranks in the Nigerian army. On average, Nigerian military officers earn between N45,000 to N1.5 million. The wage increases as the soldier moves up the ranks. Note that these are approximated figures as the actual ones are yet to be confirmed in the public domain.
| Commissioned officers | Monthly salary | Non-commissioned officers | Monthly salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| The General | ₦1,500,000 | Master Warrant Officer | ₦90,000 |
| Lieutenant General | ₦1,000,00 | Warrant Officer | ₦80,000 |
| Major General | ₦950,000 | Staff Sergeant | ₦68,000 |
| Brigadier General | ₦750,000 | Sergeant | ₦63,000 |
| Colonel | ₦550,000 | Corporal | ₦58,000 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | ₦350,000 | Lance Corporal | ₦54,000 - ₦55,000 |
| Major | ₦300,000 | Private Soldier | ₦48,000 - ₦49,000 |
| Captain | ₦220,000 | -- | -- |
| Lieutenant | ₦180,000 | -- | -- |
| Second Lieutenant | ₦120,000 | -- | -- |
Additional Information
Here are some common questions and answers about the Nigerian Army:
- Who has the highest military rank in Nigeria? The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria is at the top of all military ranks in Nigeria. Currently, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu holds the ultimate authority over the military and sets defence policy.
- How can you check the rank in the Nigerian Army? You can differentiate Nigeria's army ranks for non-commissioned and commissioned officers by checking the logos and symbols they wear on their uniforms (the shoulders).
- Who controls Nigeria's military? The President of Nigeria holds the ultimate authority as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He ensures the military remains subordinate to the elected government. The day-to-day operations are overseen by the Chief of Defence Staff, who is the highest-ranking military officer.
- What is a 3-star in the Nigerian Army? In the Nigerian Army, a 3-star rank is that of a Lieutenant General.
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