Nigeria’s Armed Forces have introduced far-reaching marriage restrictions that prohibit military officers from marrying foreign nationals, naturalized Nigerians, and non-commissioned personnel, according to provisions in the newly implemented Harmonised Terms and Conditio myns of Service (HTACOS) 2024.
The controversial policy, which took effect on December 6, 2024, following presidential approval and endorsement by the Armed Forces Council, represents a significant tightening of regulations governing the personal lives of service members.
The 2024 edition of HTACOS, which supersedes the 2017 version, explicitly addresses marriage within the military establishment in Chapter 25, introducing what many observers consider the most restrictive matrimonial guidelines in recent military history.
Blanket Ban on Foreign Spouses
One of the most striking provisions states unequivocally: “No officer is allowed to marry a foreigner or a naturalised Nigerian.”
The document emphasizes uniform implementation across all service branches, with service chiefs tasked with ensuring strict compliance.
“This Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service Officers 2024 has been promulgated to ensure uniform implementation and it supersedes the previous HTACOS Officers 2017,” the document reads.
It further notes: “The contents are to be strictly observed on all occasions and interpreted reasonably and intelligently, with due respect to the interest of the Services.”
Junior Officers Face Marriage Prohibition
The new regulations impose additional restrictions on newly commissioned officers. Second lieutenants, midshipmen, and pilot officers are classified as probationary personnel who must reside in Officers’ Mess facilities without their spouses.
According to the guidelines, such officers are “not allowed to marry” during their probationary period. For those who entered military service already married, the policy states that “the marriage will not be recognised for accommodation, pay or allowances applicable to married officers.”
Five-Year Wait for Regular Combatant Officers
The HTACOS document introduces a mandatory waiting period for certain categories of officers seeking to marry.
“An RCC officer shall not be eligible to apply to marry until after five years of commissioning,” the policy stipulates.
Even after the waiting period, officers must navigate a rigorous approval process. The regulations mandate that “any officer who is not yet married must first seek approval of the appropriate superior authority of his/her intention to marry.”
The document adds: “The approval shall be granted only after vetting and clearance of the officer’s proposed spouse by the appropriate superior authority.”
Cross-Rank Marriages Prohibited
Perhaps the most contentious provision addresses marriages between commissioned and non-commissioned personnel. The policy effectively criminalizes such unions, presenting affected service members with an ultimatum.
“If an officer marries a soldier/rating/airman/airwoman under any of the existing ordinances, the officer or the soldier/rating/airman/airwoman will be given the option to leave the Service from the date of such marriage,” the document states.
In situations where two serving personnel marry and one subsequently receives a commission, “the spouse of the commissioned officer shall be discharged from Service.”
The regulations also warn that concealment carries serious consequences: “It is an offence for an officer to conceal his marriage to a soldier/rating/airman/airwoman for the purpose of preventing the officer or the soldier/rating/airman/airwoman from leaving the Service.”
Limited Concessions for Promoted Personnel
The policy does provide narrow relief for non-commissioned personnel who were already married before receiving commissions.
According to the provisions, if “a soldier, rating or airman was already married before being commissioned, he will live in the Officers’ Mess for a minimum of three months. Thereafter, he may be given married accommodation if available or lodging allowance in lieu.”
Document Subject to Periodic Review
The HTACOS 2024 is scheduled for review every five years, meaning the current provisions will remain in force until at least 2029 unless amended earlier.
The extensive nature of the marriage restrictions has sparked debate about the balance between military discipline and personal freedoms, though the Armed Forces maintain that such regulations are necessary for operational security and maintaining proper hierarchical structures within the services.
Military authorities have directed all commands to ensure full compliance with the new terms and conditions, signaling the seriousness with which the policy will be enforced across the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
