‘Every Nigerian Should Undergo Military Training’ — Defence Minister Musa

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has proposed that every Nigerian undergo military training to gain a better understanding of the demands and sacrifices involved in protecting the country.

Musa made the proposal during an appearance on the African Leadership Podcast with Ken Giami, released on Monday.

According to the minister, military training exposes participants to hunger, exhaustion, physical strain and other hardships that could give them a different perspective on life and the responsibilities of safeguarding the nation.

“Every Nigerian should be able to go through military training. It will give you a different perspective about life. You will now understand what it means to stay hungry and what it means to work in days without sleep,” Musa said.

“It will show you what endurance means when you walk kilometres and you are tired but you still need to keep on going. You have not eaten; you have not taken one because of the nature of the thing and because you are doing it to protect,” he added.

Musa said the sacrifices made by soldiers were comparable to the biblical principle of giving one’s life for another.

“And that’s exactly what the military men are doing, putting their lives at stake for their country to move around,” he said.

The former Chief of Defence Staff also urged Nigerians to recognise that soldiers are family members who leave their loved ones behind while carrying out their duties.

He expressed concern over insults directed at military personnel, saying such criticism often overlooks the risks and personal sacrifices involved in their service.

“And so that’s why sometimes it’s very painful when you see people insulting the military and telling them they don’t need it or we don’t want this to end. Nobody’s dying now, and they don’t want it to end,” he said.

The minister stressed that Nigerians want peace, adding that soldiers operate under difficult conditions to help secure the country.

“Everybody wants peace, and that is important, so we want them to understand soldiers are fathers, brothers and sisters of people. They’ve families they’ve left behind, staying in the weather, rain, dust, night or day, staying there to ensure the country is secured,” Musa said.

On border security, Musa linked increased infiltration into Nigeria to the withdrawal of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali from regional security arrangements.

He added that Nigeria was building bilateral relationships with countries, including Cameroon, as part of efforts to strengthen security in the southern part of the country.