The Chief of Army Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has raised urgent concerns about the Nigerian Army’s inability to provide adequate housing for its personnel, revealing that 13,000 incoming recruits face accommodation shortages.
Speaking during a Senate Army Committee visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, General Oluyede painted a stark picture of the housing crisis confronting the military institution.
“As we speak, the army is still challenged in terms of operational efficiency. This year alone, we are expecting about 13,000 new personnel, but there are no corresponding resources to provide accommodation for them,” the Army chief disclosed.
The accommodation deficit extends beyond new recruits, with existing soldiers also lacking proper housing facilities. General Oluyede warned that this shortfall would continue expanding without intervention.
“We still have soldiers not being accommodated, and that number will continue to grow,” he emphasized during the briefing.
The Army chief linked the housing crisis to broader national security preparedness, questioning the military’s readiness for potential external threats given current resource constraints.
“We are not only looking at maybe insecurity within, but what if someday we are challenged from outside?” General Oluyede posed to the lawmakers.
He specifically appealed to the Senate committee to explore mechanisms for securing special funding dedicated to military accommodation projects.
“So, I want to pray that you please look at that, and at the same time, look at how we can get special funds to provide accommodation for our soldiers. It’s very critical,” the Army chief stated.
While acknowledging the committee’s ongoing support for military operations, General Oluyede criticized current funding arrangements, particularly the envelope budgeting system, as insufficient for meeting the Army’s operational requirements.
Senate Army Committee Chairman Abdulaziz Yar’Adua responded by acknowledging the funding challenges and pledging continued advocacy for improved budgetary allocations.
“The Nigerian Army and Armed Forces should be removed from the envelope budgeting system so they have more funds to carry out their mandate. We’ve seen the need during our oversight visits,” Yar’Adua declared.
The committee chairman assured the Army leadership of sustained parliamentary support in securing adequate funding.
“We want to assure the Chief of Army Staff of our continued support and collaboration with the executive to ensure the army is adequately funded,” Yar’Adua concluded.
The housing shortage comes at a time when the Nigerian military faces multiple security challenges across different regions of the country, raising questions about operational effectiveness amid resource constraints.
