The Nigerian Army and Challenges of Professionalism in Internal Security Operations, 1964-1999

Abstract

The Nigerian Army evolved in the second half of the nineteenth century, when Great Britain sought to assert its power and influence along the littoral regions of the Nigerian coastline and to create an enabling environment for the growth and development of trade and commerce in the Nigerian interior. At independence, Nigeria inherited an army that retained the British traditions of conservatism, political aloofness, professionalism, and a high standard of regimentation. Employing chronological, descriptive, thematic, and analytical methods of historical investigation, this study examines the nexus between the Nigerian Army and professionalism in internal security operations. The involvement of the Nigerian Army in internal security operations has been marked by varying degrees of success and challenges. However, due to the vicissitudes of Nigeria’s political dynamics from the 1960s onwards, the Nigerian Army appears to have been negatively affected in its ethos, orientation, and general perception as a nationalist institution. The study reveals that professionalism in the army was compromised by several factors, including coups and military rule, issues related to equipment and maintenance, training and logistics, political interference and leadership, human rights abuses, and operational mandates. It was concluded that the Nigerian Army should continue to be engaged in internal security operations while emphasising the importance of professionalism, Rules of Engagement (ROE), Standing Operational Procedure (SOP), and Operational Control (OPCON) in such operations.