Mohamed Garba
The Nigerian military has fallen from 36th to 39th place in the latest Global Firepower (GFP) rankings, which assess the military strength of 145 countries worldwide.
This decline marks the second consecutive year Nigeria has slipped in the rankings, despite recent acquisitions of fighter jets and notable successes against terrorist groups.GFP’s rankings evaluate over 60 factors, including military units, financial standing, logistical capabilities, and geography.
The United States retained its top spot for the 18th consecutive year, followed by Russia, China, and India.In Africa, Nigeria has dropped from third to fourth place, with Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa ranking higher.
The Nigerian military’s decline has raised concerns, though the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, stated he was unaware of the rankings and thus unable to comment.
According to GFP, the United States showcases “commanding values in many major material, financial, and resource categories.”Globally, the rankings position Russia, China, and India as second, third, and fourth, respectively.
South Korea ranks fifth, followed by the United Kingdom (6th), Japan (7th), Turkey (8th), Pakistan (9th), and Italy (10th). The top 15 is completed by France (11th), Brazil (12th), Indonesia (13th), Iran (14th), and Egypt (15th).Australia, Israel, Ukraine, Germany, and Spain occupy the 16th to 20th positions, respectively.
The GFP rankings provide a comprehensive assessment of military strength, and Nigeria’s decline may highlight areas for improvement in the country’s defence capabilities.
