Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has revealed that the Nigerian Army is facing a serious accommodation shortfall for the 13,000 recruits expected this year, citing inadequate funding.
Gatekeepers News reports that during a visit by Senate Committee on Army to Army Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, Oluyede expressed appreciation for the committee’s ongoing support but emphasized that the current envelope budgeting system is insufficient for the military’s needs.
He called for a special funding arrangement outside the traditional budget framework to help the army improve its combat readiness and welfare infrastructure.
According to him, the current budget does not account for the growing number of personnel needing accommodation, and some existing soldiers are already without housing.
Oluyede warned that without urgent intervention, the situation could worsen, especially in the face of potential external threats.
He urged the lawmakers to consider alternative funding strategies specifically for providing accommodation for troops, stressing the importance of military preparedness.
In response, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, chairman of the committee, acknowledged the financial limitations affecting the army and assured the chief of staff that the committee would push for increased funding.
He emphasised that the military should be excluded from the envelope budgeting model to allow for more flexible and adequate financial planning, especially given what the committee observed during its oversight visits.
Yar’Adua also noted that the committee had divided into teams to inspect various army formations across Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Lagos, ensuring accountability and effective utilization of allocated resources in line with constitutional and senate guidelines.
