Kolade Gabriel Olubiyo, Bamidele Babatunde Popoola

Keywords: Nigerian Armed Forces, Military professionalism, Global best practices, Security

Abstract

Military professionalism is built on key principles, including subordinate
military authority to democratic civilian leadership, loyalty to the state, and a commitment to political neutrality, all upheld by an ethical institutional culture. These principles are reflected in the core values guiding soldiers’
actions, such as discipline, integrity, honour, commitment, service, sacrifice, and duty. For these values to flourish, military organizations need a clear mission, well-defined lines of authority, accountability, and adherence to protocol. Ironically, in many African countries, professional military conduct often falls short of these principles, marked by frequent coups, mutinies, desertions, human rights abuses against civilians, corruption, and involvement in illegal activities. The Nigerian Armed Forces are vital to maintaining national security; however, ongoing security challenges highlight the need for improved military professionalism. Despite efforts to professionalize under democratic governance, significant challenges remain, emphasizing the importance of learning from global best practices to implement meaningful reforms. Therefore, this study provides a
comprehensive review of international best practices in military professionalism, using civil-military theories to assess their relevance and
potential application in strengthening the Nigerian Armed Forces in the 21st
century. This qualitative study uses critical discourse analysis of existing
literature to identify key components of military professionalism, including
integrity and honour, respect and discipline, merit-based promotion, strong training programmes, and accountability mechanisms, all driven by strong leadership. The paper concludes by recommending realignment of military mandate, support for soldier development, prioritization of education and
training, depoliticization of military environment, and institutionalization of ethics and accountability. Hence, strong military professionalism is crucial for improving security operations in Nigeria.

Author Biography

Kolade Gabriel Olubiyo

History & International Studies Programme, College of Liberal Studies, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria

Email: [email protected], 

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2984-7735

Bamidele Babatunde Popoola

Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria

Email: [email protected]

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