A major shift is underway in Nigeria’s defence laws as the Senate has taken decisive steps to outlaw the recruitment of anyone below 18 years into the Armed Forces, marking one of the boldest reforms to military legislation in years.
Lawmakers on Thursday advanced the Armed Forces (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2025 after it scaled second reading, positioning Nigeria to align fully with international child protection standards and modern military practices.
The bill, championed by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua of Katsina Central, seeks to discard the Armed Forces Act of 2004 and replace it with a more constitutional, updated, and operationally sound framework.
During the debate, the lawmaker argued that the military’s legal foundation had fallen behind Nigeria’s democratic growth. He stressed that a modern military cannot function with laws inherited from an era of decrees.
“Our Armed Forces are a symbol of national unity and pride, but the laws guiding them have not evolved at the same pace as our democracy. This bill rebuilds the military’s legal foundation to reflect justice, professionalism, and respect for human rights,” Yar’Adua said.
The proposed law bars underage enlistment, bringing Nigeria’s defence operations in line with the Child Rights Act 2003, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
Beyond the child-protection clause, the bill introduces sweeping reforms touching on discipline, accountability, and command structure. It broadens the range of military offences, updates penalties that have been unchanged for decades, and replaces outdated fines of N200 or N500 with sanctions tied to an offender’s salary.
It also protects the independence of courts-martial by making it a criminal offence for senior officers to interfere with proceedings. According to the bill, this safeguard is critical for preventing abuse of power within the military hierarchy.
Another notable reform permits legally qualified military officers to represent the Armed Forces in civil courts, supported by a permanent litigation fund to speed up military-related cases.
The new framework also settles long-standing ambiguities in command reporting. It reserves operational control of the military for the Chief of Defence Staff, acting under the authority of the President, in line with constitutional provisions. Lawmakers say this clarity strengthens civilian oversight and places Nigeria’s military structure on the same footing as other democracies.
With second reading completed, the bill now heads to the Joint Committee on Army, Navy, and Air Force. The committee is expected to review the proposed law and return its report to the Senate within four weeks.
If eventually passed, the legislation will mark one of the most far-reaching overhauls of Nigeria’s military laws in two decades.
