The Nigerian Army and National Development Since the Civil War

Abstract

Following the humble beginning of the Nigerian Army in the immediate post-colonial era, expectations were high with respect to the positive roles that the Military can play towards the economic and socio-political transformation of the country. To say that the Military had undertaken very active roles in the constructive transformation and economic development of the Nigerian nation is an understatement. There is no doubt that the Military is still bedevilled by some problems and challenges in their nationalistic tendencies and patriotism which always spur them to intervene and which some critics feel is a sign of weakness on the part of the country that is incapable of getting its democratic acts together. Using content analysis as our methodological approach, this paper attempts to evaluate the roles of the Nigerian Military towards Nigeria’s economic development since the civil war, by highlighting the roles of the various Military regimes that the nation had witnessed. This is in view of the fact that over the years, our leaders, particularly the Military had emphasized on the need for a re-orientation of the people for the pursuit of positive values which are aimed at producing a decent, humane, disciplined and self-reliant nation.

Keywords: Nigerian Army, economic development, civil war