The Nigerian Army has described the low number of applicants from the South-West region applying to join the army as worrisome, urging people of the region to change their mindsets and apply for the profession.

The team lead, Army Headquarters Recruitment team, Brig.-Gen. Adeleye Lawal, stated this on Tuesday in Ibadan during the Nigerian Army sensitisation on the recruitment exercise.

Mr Lawal said that about 2,070 applicants from the South-West region had applied since the portal for army recruitment opened on October 2, adding that Oyo State had the highest number of applicants, with 544.

He said the Nigerian Army had noticed a decline in the number of applicants from the South-West region, which was too low compared to other regions of the country.

According to him, about 14,000 applicants had so far applied from the North-West since the commencement of the exercise, 13,000 from the North-East, 10,000 from the North-Central, and 1,000 from the South-East.

He said that every state in Nigeria was allocated 180 slots each in the ongoing army recruitment exercise, emphasising that any region that failed to fill its slot would have the remaining slots allocated to other states.

Mr Lawal said that joining the military does not amount to signing one’s death warrant, saying people die in their houses and on the road while travelling.

“Death is part of life, and we are not saying come and join the military and die. Many people have joined the military and succeeded far more than expectations,” he said.

Mr Lawal, while enlightening the people about suffering in the Nigerian Army, said nothing comes easy in life, adding that the system has a way of paying back those who work tirelessly for the profession.

He urged those applying for the profession to ensure they are Nigerians, have no criminal records, and are physically and medically fit, among other requirements.

Also speaking, the executive assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on security matters, Sunday Odukoya, urged the people of Oyo State to apply to join the Nigerian Army to ensure the state’s slot is not wasted.

Mr Odukoya urged the people to change their orientation about the military and to disseminate the message to the youths about why they should join the military.

(NAN)