The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, emphasized the importance of citizen involvement in ensuring the security of lives and property in Nigeria, urging that it should not rest solely on security agencies.

Speaking at the 2024 Distinguished Personality Lecture titled “The Roles and Contributions of the Nigerian Army to National Development,” organized by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies at the University of Ilorin, Lagbaja was represented by Major General Sanni Gambo Mohammed, the Chief of Training (Army).

He highlighted the unrealistic expectation that around 2 million security personnel could adequately protect a population of over 200 million. “There is a common misconception that security should be exclusively the responsibility of security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Army,” Gen. Lagbaja stated.

“This mindset has fostered public apathy, with citizens feeling less concerned until their safety is directly threatened by criminal activities. The Nigerian Army, along with other security forces, is currently under-resourced.”

He pointed out that it is impractical for a nation of over 200 million people to rely on approximately 2 million security operatives, including just over 100,000 active army personnel without reserve forces.

The COAS reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to recruiting additional personnel for the army, while also stressing the ongoing resource challenges faced by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies. He identified four key issues hindering optimal performance: inadequate funding, insufficient manpower, lack of an industrial base, and a poor understanding of security among the populace.