Nigeria Falls in African and Global Armed Forces Rankings
The 2024 Global Firepower (GFP) rankings are out, and Nigeria’s Armed Forces have dropped to 39th place worldwide. This marks their second year of decline, falling from 36th in 2023 and 35th in 2022. Even with the addition of new fighter jets and other advanced military equipment, Nigeria’s global standing continues to slip.
On the African stage, the news isn’t any brighter. Nigeria has fallen from third to fourth place, trailing behind Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa.
Egypt Still Africa’s Military Powerhouse
Unsurprisingly, Egypt holds the title of Africa’s strongest military for yet another year. Algeria and South Africa remain in second and third places, respectively, while Nigeria slides down the ranks.
GFP rankings evaluate over 60 factors, including military strength, financial resources, logistics, and even geography. For 2024, Nigeria scored a Power Index (PwrIndx) of 0.5619, where a perfect military score is 0.0000.
Global Rankings: The Usual Giants Dominate
Globally, the United States stays unbeatable, topping the GFP rankings for the 18th year straight. Russia, China, India, and South Korea fill out the top five.
Other notable African nations like Ethiopia, Angola, Morocco, and the Democratic Republic of Congo also earned spots on the list, highlighting Africa’s growing military diversity.
Why Is Nigeria Slipping?
This drop raises serious concerns about Nigeria’s defence readiness and resource management, especially given the ongoing security challenges at home. While progress has been made in fighting terrorism, experts suggest that more needs to be done to strengthen the nation’s defence capabilities.
Calls are growing for Nigeria to reassess its military strategies and priorities if it hopes to climb back up the rankings.
What’s Next for Nigeria’s Armed Forces?
Nigeria has the potential to regain its standing with better planning, investments in key areas, and stronger leadership. While rankings aren’t everything, they reflect the country’s ability to secure its borders and play a pivotal role in regional and global security.
For now, all eyes are on the government and military to see what steps they’ll take to address this decline. After all, a strong military is key to a secure and stable future.
