Army Urges South-East Youths to Apply—Too Many Slots Are Going Unused

The Nigerian Army says it’s worried about how few young people from the South-East are applying to join the force—and warns the region could lose out on its fair share of positions if things don’t change.

At a town hall in Enugu, Chima Ekeator, who’s leading the 2025 recruitment awareness team, shared some eye-opening numbers. He explained that every year, recruitment slots are set aside for each state—but the South-East keeps falling short.

“Our people are losing what rightly belongs to them. Each year, whenever a slot is being allocated to our people,” he said. “But we keep noticing that the number of applicants from our side is usually very poor.”

Enugu’s Turnout Was Less Than Half

Ekeator used Enugu State as an example. This year, about 200 slots were available—but fewer than 100 people applied. And it’s not just Enugu—he says the same pattern is happening across the region.

“Take, for example, Enugu State was given about 200 slots, but the people who made it were never up to 100 due to poor application. This has also become a recurring decimal in other states in the south-east.”

Northern States Are Showing Strong Interest

One example that stood out: Kaduna. Ekeator said that state already has over 3,000 applicants this year alone—compared to barely 100 from Enugu.

“Today’s statistics on the number of applicants show that Kaduna has about 3,000 applicants, while Enugu is still battling with about a hundred; and by the time we will be through with screening, you will not have enough to recruit from the state,” he added.

Addressing the Rumours

Ekeator also tackled a rumour that’s been making the rounds—that Igbo soldiers are more likely to be sent to risky battle zones. He said it’s simply not true.

“There are a lot of falsehoods out there stating that the Igbo are being killed because they are the first to be sent to the battlefield. These things are not true. After all, we that are here have risen high in the Army, and we are telling you that they are lies.”

Proof That Igbo Officers Rise in the Ranks

To back that up, Ekeator mentioned Chibueze Ogbuabor—a top officer from the South-East who’s currently in charge of handling military equipment.

“Today in the Nigerian Army, our brother is one of the top commanders in charge of equipment. His name is Chibueze Ogbuabor,” he said.