Defence Transformation in Nigeria

Abstract

The quest to modernise the Nigerian armed forces has gone beyond mere declaration of policy intent by the Nigerian government. Processes for defence transformation have entailed the establishment of relevant committees to generate blueprints for actualising the initiative. The prospects of defence transformation can be seen in the efforts of the leadership of the armed forces to implement the various recommendations of the transformation committees as well as the incorporation of the requirements of the armed forces in the long-term perspective plan of the government, in addition to the palpable commitment of the country's National Assembly to appropriate requisite financial resources to the defence sector. Regardless of these prospects, certain structural and institutional problems which could hinder the realisation of the objectives of defence transformation still exist. These include wrong deployment of personnel to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the dichotomy between MOD and Defence Headquarters (DHQ), lack of transparency in procurement and project implementation, among others. However, the main goal of transforming Nigerian armed forces has regained renewed salience in the face of the challenging security concerns which the recent terrorist onslaught against the Nigerian state portends. Therefore, the issue is not the desirability or otherwise of defence transformation, but whether it is achievable in spite of all the odds against it.

The determinants of postpartum contraceptive use in Nigeria

“…This acceptance can further decrease perceived barriers to contraceptive use. Religion is a key facet of the sociocultural fabric of Nigerian communities, granting religious leaders substantial influence in either deterring or encouraging effective adoption of contraception ( 25 – 27 ). An investigation into the impact of religious leaders on contraceptive use in Nigeria indicated significantly higher adoption of contraceptive methods among women exposed to family planning messages from their religious leaders than among those who did not ( 25 ).…”

Perspective Chapter: Determinants of Health-Care Seeking Behaviors and Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy in Nigeria

“…The Nigerian child has a right to education as enshrined in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Child's Rights Act of 2003 [31]. This is important because quality education can impact appreciatively on the quality of life of a child with short-and long-term benefits.…”

The Challenges of Girl-Child Education in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State in Nigeria on 1999-2019

“…Based on the provisions of Article 21A of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children from the age of six to 14 years as the state may determine by law [1], [2]. Besides, Section 18(1) also states that the 'Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels', while Section 18 (3) shows that the 'Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy and to this end government shall as and when practicable provide (a) free compulsory and universal primary education; (b) free secondary education; (c) free university education and (d) free adult literacy programme' [3].…”

“…The provision of free education to citizens, especially children and women was also concretized by the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 in which Nigeria with the support of UNICEF (United Nations International Emergency Children's Fund) took bold steps to domesticate the convention into national law. The bill was passed by the National Assembly in July, 2003 and by September, 2003 it was promulgated as the Child's Rights Act of 2003, after the assent of the president [3].…”