President Muhammadu Buhari said over 60,000 soldiers were recruited under his watch, saying 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, at Eagles Square in Abuja.
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 those earlier procured from 2017 to 2022.
The President further noted that the army had restructured the conduct of its operations to meet current realities, saying the quantum of platforms induced into the army since 2015 had enabled troops to take the battle to the terrorists and criminals, particularly in the North-East.
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.
