President Muhammadu Buhari says over 60,000 soldiers were recruited under his watch, saying his administration funded the military to ensure an increased in the fighting power of the Nigerian Army.
Buhari said this at the Nigerian Army Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade 2023 on Thursday, at Eagles Square in Abuja.
Other dignitaries present are the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.
Also in attendance were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, members of the National Executive Council, among others.
The trooping and presentation of colours parade is conducted when retiring the old colours of a regiment/unit and presenting the regiment/unit with a new one.
It is usually conducted once in 15 to 20 years as desired by the country’s armed forces but the last time such a parade was conducted in Nigeria was in 2007 when 32 units/regiments were issued with new colours.
Thursday’s event saw the retiring and replacing 53 units’ regimental colours and issuance of 28 new ones for newly established units.
