Our History

The Nigerian Armed Forces are the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Its origins lie in the elements of the Royal West African Frontier Force that became Nigerian when independence was granted in 1960. In 1956 the Nigeria Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) was renamed the Nigerian Military Forces, RWAFF, and in April 1958 the colonial government of Nigeria took over from the British War Office control of the Nigerian Military Forces.

Our Leadership

 

Commander-in-Chief
President Muhammadu Buhari
Defence Minister
Mansur Dan Ali
Chief of Defence Staff
General AG Olonisakin

Our Peacekeeping Efforts

Since the 1960s, Nigeria has been a major contributor of troops and police to United Nations peace operations, having served in dozens of missions. Most recently, Nigerian troops were the military backbone of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), from 2003-2018, helping to restore security throughout a country that had undergone a brutal civil war.

Nigerian Soldiers at Peacekeeping Efforts
Defence Headquaters
Nigerian Defence Magazine
The Official The Defence Headquarters Blog