President Muhammadu Buhari has said that over 60,000 soldiers were recruited under his watch, as his administration funded the military to ensure an increased in the fighting power of the Nigerian Army.
Buhari said this at the Nigerian Army Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade 2023 on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Eagles Square in Abuja.
Other dignitaries present were the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya; and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
Also in attendance were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo; the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; and members of the National Executive Council, among others.
The trooping and presentation of colours parade is conducted when retiring the old colours of a regiment/unit and presenting the regiment/unit with a new one.
It is usually conducted once in 15 to 20 years as desired by the country’s armed forces, but the last time such a parade was conducted in Nigeria was in 2007 when 32 units/regiments were issued with new colours.
Thursday’s event saw the retiring and replacing 53 units’ regimental colours and issuance of 28 new ones for newly established units.
Speaking at the event, Buhari said, “Our interventions and budgetary allocation to the army between 2020 and 2022 alone has been able to procure hundreds of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, troops carrying vehicles, utility vehicles, tanks and armoured personnel carriers to augment and enhance the deal. To discharge their constitutional mandate.
Furthermore, in my resolve to cater for the families of disease personnel, over 50,000 children and wards of personnel who died in active service on the Nigerian Army Scholarship from 2015 to date.
“In terms of infrastructural development, this administration has made determined efforts to surmount the deficit in accommodation and other amenities.”
Buhari added that the trooping and presentation of colours parade was significant considering the establishment and operationalisation of new units in line with the army’s increasing operational commitments.
“Today’s ceremony is a continuation of our efforts to reinvigorate the fighting secret of our troops through the inculcation of greater pride in their units.”
