Anambra youths have been urged to enlist in the ongoing 91 Regular Recruits Intake exercise of the Nigerian Army for trades and non-tradesmen and women.
The leader of a delegation from the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Uche Nnabuihe made the call while addressing youths at the State Ministry of Youth office in Awka, the state capital.
Application for the ongoing 91 Regular Recruits Intake Exercise which commenced on the 30th of March, 2026, will end on the 17th May, 2026.
Statistics available to the News Chronicle show that only about 38,000 applications have been received nationwide for the recruitment, which is very low compared to previous recruitments.
Nnabuihe, who expressed concern over the low interest from the South-East, explained that as of April 7, before the nationwide sensitization, out of total applications received when the recruitment portal opened, only one hundred and seventeen applications came from Anambra.
He explained that the sensitization was aimed at providing the opportunity for the Army to interact with the relevant stakeholders to understand the bottlenecks inhibiting adequate participation from people of the state and the region.
“Before now, we have applications from across the country running into hundred of thousands, but as at April 7 when we embarked on this journey, we have only about 38,000 applications.
“Out of that number, Anambra state has only about 117 applications, which is grossly insufficient.
“The ongoing recruitment exercise is expected to admit 14,000 applicants and that translates to 350-400 applicants per state, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. Imagine where you have only about 117 applicants from the state, it now becomes worrisome.
“So, the Nigerian Army, understanding the importance of inclusivity, national recognition and representation, thought it wise to initiate this sensitization campaign, to interact with relevant stakeholders and groups, to find out what the challenges are so that we can address them.
“That is why we are here today to appeal to traditional rulers and stakeholders to take this message down into the communities and we are hopeful that by the time the portal closes on 17th May, we would have achieved a significant improvement in the application from Anambra State,” Nnabuihe said.
Contributing, Lieutenant Colonel Ogbemudia Osawe, who revealed that there are now training institutions at Abakaliki and Osogbo, disclosed that the age limit is 18-22 years for non-tradesmen and 22-26 for tradesmen.
He noted that the benefits of joining the Nigerian Army include, but are not limited to, career progression, enhanced and regular pay and allowances.
Others he noted, are access to continuous military education and specialized training, opportunities to socialize and learn other people’s cultures, a good welfare scheme, free medical attention for officers and their family members, pension and gratuity, and the opportunity to serve outside the country.
Among the traditional rulers present at the event, Igwe Michael Okeke-Uche of Enugwu-Agidi, who commended the welfare system of the Nigerian Army, encouraged young people in the state to show interest in joining the service to ensure that Anambra and the South-East are well represented.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Anambra State Ministry of Youths, Mr. Ifeatu Emodi, who appreciated the sensitization exercise, said enrollment in the Nigerian Army is very fundamental, especially to South-Easterners who are no longer showing interest in joining the service because of biases borne out of misinformation.
