DistantNews
Support us
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Conflict & Security

The Army, NADCEL 2026 and the ALFF

From ThisDay · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • The Nigerian Army faces severe underfunding and under-resourcing, impacting its operational effectiveness.
  • Despite government talk of ending insurgency, the army struggles with delayed budget allocations and procurement.
  • The recent NADCEL and ALFF events highlighted these critical issues, suggesting the army is overstretched and underequipped.

The Nigerian Army is in dire straits, struggling with severe underfunding and under-resourcing that cripple its operational effectiveness, according to Okey Ikechukwu. Despite government pronouncements about ending insurgency, the army has reportedly received only seven percent of its 2026 budgetary allocation. This financial strain is compounded by delays in paying retirement benefits to senior officers and challenges in procurement and supplies.

an army must be an army, not a Boys’ Scout Movement, not a vigilante groups and not a rag-tag neighbourhood security group. It must be professional, disciplined, capacitated and running the tripod of (1) Seasoned strategic preeminence, (2) Operational effectiveness and (3) Well-choreographed logistics for desired end-states.

— Okey IkechukwuIkechukwu describes the essential qualities and operational requirements of a functional army, contrasting them with less professional groups.

Ikechukwu argues that the army is not being sufficiently appreciated by the public, who cannot see the extent of its constraints. Many are unaware of the difficulties faced by soldiers enduring prolonged deployments, the delays in acquiring necessary equipment, and the overall lack of essential financial and logistical resources. This situation is exacerbated by commentators who spread half-truths and misinformation about the army's capabilities.

the Nigerian Army is in dire straits. Not because it is not professional or well led, but because it is hamstrung by forces the public is not seeing, or at least not seeing very clearly.

— Okey IkechukwuIkechukwu states the current critical condition of the Nigerian Army, attributing it to unseen external pressures.

The recent Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) and the accompanying African Land Forces Forum (ALFF) brought these distressing issues to the fore. NADCEL, an annual event commemorating the army's history and achievements, also served as a platform to highlight its current struggles. The forum underscored the critical need for the army to be a professional, disciplined, and well-capacitated force, equipped with seasoned strategic preeminence, operational effectiveness, and well-choreographed logistics to achieve its desired end-states.

It was reported a few weeks ago that the Service had only received seven per cent (7%) of its budgetary allocation for 2026. This was not refuted.

— Okey IkechukwuIkechukwu cites a specific, unrefuted report about the army's severely limited budget reception for 2026.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ThisDay. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog