Top List of Major Ranks in the Nigerian Military

The Military ranks of Nigeria structure are equivalent in structure to that of the United Kingdom. The military rang are the insignia used by the Nigerian armed forces.

However, whether you have the interest of joining the army or you do not. It is important as a person to know the ranking structure of the Nigerian army. But, but if it is your dream to join the army this article will benefit you.

Let us now consider how the Nigerian Army ranks its commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

The Non-Commissioned officers

In the Nigerian army, there are eight ranks of non-commissioned officers, all with its task to follow. Let us now look into the rank and its responsibility.

1. Recruit

This is the lowest rank in the army. This is the ones who have just been recruited newly into the Nigerian army and their function is for them to continue receiving command as they grow and get promoted in their career.

2. Private

They are the second lowest in the army. They just receive command just as the recruits. But the difference is that they have more experience compared to recruits. The usage of the term private can be traced back to the eighteen century. It defined individuals who were hired to be feudal to the service. Therefore, all countries who had a historical connection with England have privates in their armies.

3. Lance-Corporal

It’s usually a person who is the second-in-command of a section. The name of this military rank comes from Italy. The original meaning was “the one who broke a spear during a battle.” Therefore, this person was an experienced fighter who had a right to command other low ranks.

4. Corporal

Corporal is an Italian name meaning “ahead of a body.”  This is another rank in the military which is responsible for commanding a particular squad or section of soldiers. It originates from the British system.

5. Sergeant

In the Nigerian Army, this rank corresponds to the commanding of a squad of the section. It`s also considered as one of the first senior non-commissioned officers in the Nigerian Army. In the medieval ages, sergeants were just commanded by officers. They were being servants who were able to fight if it`s needed. Moreover, these servants were also able to command other low servants regarding any attack. They are considered the middle class in the chivalry hierarchy.

6. Staff Sergeant

This army position is derived from the British Army regiment. There are assigned to have a supervisor position with other low-ranked military men.

Staff sergeants are assigned to have a supervisor position with other low-ranked military men. This army position also derives from the British Army regiment.

7. Warrant Officer Class 2

The warrant officer in Nigeria is the second highest non-commissioned rank and the term, warrant officer class 2 was used in the first time in the 13th century.

8. Warrant Officer Class 1

In the non-commissioned military rank in Nigeria, the warrant officer class 1 is the highest rank.

Warrant officers are classified as WO according to the classified category of NATO. They are the command or technical leaders in their squads.

Nigerian Army Commissioned Ranks

1. Second Lieutenant

It`s considered to be the lowest commission officer rank. This rank comes from the colonial forces of the British Empire. It`s usually considered to be the newly appointed officers who just graduated from a military school or college.

2. Lieutenant

It`s another junior commissioned officer. The name comes from French and can be translated as the position holder. Therefore, lieutenants are considered to be superior to non-commissioned officers.

3. Captain

It`s an officer who is historically connected to the commanding of a company of soldiers. They are considered to be experienced officers compare to lower military ranks.

4. Major

It`s a more experienced officer. Still, it`s considered the highest junior rank in the military.

5. Lieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant Colonel has a vast variety of functions. It`s one of the high command positions in Nigeria.

6. Colonel

It`s a person who is about to be a general. From the 19th century, the colonel was considered to be in charge of a regiment in the army.

7. Brigadier General

It`s the first military rank which starts with General. It`s considered one of the highest military ranks in Nigeria.

8. Major General

It`s the second highest rank in the Nigerian army. This officer has a lot of responsibilities and commands a vast army of people.

9. Lieutenant General

It`s usually a commander of an army corps. This army corps consists of three army divisions which mean an army of 60,000-70,000 people.

10. General

This term is generic for all titles and means. This officer appeared in European armies in the medieval period. Therefore, Commonwealth countries also use this rank in their military.

11. Field Marshal

It`s the highest military position in Nigeria. It needs to take years to get such a position. It`s usually a few persons that get this title. It requires extraordinary military skills. That`s one of the reasons why this military rank is so rare.

The Nigerian military is considered to be one of the strongest on the continent. This strength also comes from Nigerian officers who protect their country.