Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has proposed mandatory military training for Nigerians, saying it would help citizens understand the demands and sacrifices of military service.
Musa made the proposal during an appearance on the African Leadership Podcast with Ken Giami, released on Monday.
He said military training would expose civilians to the physical and mental challenges faced by soldiers, including hunger, exhaustion, lack of sleep and long-distance movement under difficult conditions.
“Every Nigerian should be able to go through military training. It will give you a different perspective about life,” he said.
The minister urged Nigerians to consider the personal sacrifices made by troops, including leaving their families and risking their lives while deployed to troubled areas.
Musa also attributed part of Nigeria’s border-security challenges to developments in the Sahel following the withdrawal of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali from ECOWAS.
He said Nigeria was strengthening security cooperation with neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, particularly to protect its southern borders.
