By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has called for special funding to address the Nigerian Army’s accommodation crisis as it prepares to receive 13,000 new recruits.
Speaking during a visit by the Senate Committee on Army to the Army Headquarters in Abuja, Oluyede lamented that current budgetary allocations under the envelope system are insufficient to meet operational and welfare needs.
“We lack the resources to house these new personnel, and the problem keeps growing,” he said, urging lawmakers to approve dedicated funds for military infrastructure.
Senate Committee Chairman Abdulaziz Yar’Adua pledged support, stating, “The Army should be exempted from envelope budgeting to enhance its capabilities.”
The committee also conducted oversight inspections of projects in multiple states, vowing to push for improved funding before year-end.