General (Nigeria)

Last updated

General
Chief of Defence Staff Nigeria Standard.png
Flag of a general as CDS
Nigeria-Army-OF-9.svg
Rank insignia of a general
General Owoye Azazi 2008.jpeg
General Owoye Andrew Azazi wearing the Nigerian General insignia
CountryFlag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Service branch
AbbreviationGen
Rank group General officer
Rank Four-star rank
NATO rank code OF-9
Next higher rank
Next lower rank Lieutenant-general
Equivalent ranks

General (or full general to distinguish it from the lower general officer ranks) is the highest rank achievable by serving officers of the Nigerian Army. It ranks above lieutenant-general and is subordinate to the rank of field marshal, which is only awarded as an honorary rank to the incumbent president of Nigeria in his capacity as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The rank of general has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank. [1] It is equivalent to a full admiral in the Nigerian Navy or an air chief marshal in the Nigerian Air Force.

Contents

The rank of full general is not always given; this rank is usually held by the Chief of the Defence Staff (if the chief is appointed from the army and not from the navy or the air force).

Officers holding the ranks of lieutenant-general, major-general and brigadier-general may be generically considered to be generals.

History

When the Nigerian Army was formed in 1956, the rank of general was the highest rank defined. Since the formation, the British Army officer heading the army held the rank of Major general and the first Nigerian officer to command the army, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was promoted to the rank of Major general in 1965.

In 1976, then chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Danjuma was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and ever since then all serving chiefs of the army held the rank of lieutenant general (except on three occasions where the chief held the rank of major general), customarily promoted to the rank on appointment to the post of chief of army staff.

Yakubu Gowon became the first officer to be promoted to the rank of general in 1970 immediately after the Nigerian Civil War. In 1990, Domkat Bali became the first regular officer to be promoted to the rank of general, without serving as the head of state. Since 1990, it became customary for all Chiefs of Defence Staff to be promoted to the rank of general on appointment to the office. In 2021, Lucky Irabor was promoted to the rank after his appointment as the Chief of Defence Staff.

List of Nigerian Army Generals

Since 1960, only thirteen officers have attained this rank.[ citation needed ] Among them, five attained this rank while they were head of state, one officer Sani Abacha attained this rank before becoming head of state. Eight of them served as Chief of Defence Staff, two heads of state (Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar) also served as Chiefs of Defence Staff.[ citation needed ]

Insignia

A general's insignia is a crossed sword and baton. Though a brigadier-general does not have this emblem but three stars and an eagle over them, a major-general has an eagle over this emblem; a lieutenant-general an eagle and a star; and a full general two stars and an eagle. The insignia for the highest rank, that of Field Marshal, consists of crossed batons within a wreath and surmounted by an eagle.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sani Abacha</span> Military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998

Sani Abacha ; was a Nigerian Army General and politician who ruled as the military head of state after seizing power in 1993 until his death in 1998. Abacha's seizure of power was the last successful coup d'état in Nigerian military history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Nigeria</span> Head of state and government of Nigeria

The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the head of state and head of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibrahim Babangida</span> Military President of Nigeria from 1985 to 1993

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida is a Nigerian retired general and statesman who served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as Chief of Army Staff, going on to orchestrate his seizure of power in a coup d'état against Muhammadu Buhari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Nanven Garba</span> Nigerian general, diplomat and politician (1943–2002)

Joseph Nanven Garba was a Nigerian general, diplomat, and politician who served as president of the United Nations General Assembly from 1989 to 1990. He served as federal commissioner for external affairs from 1975 to 1978, commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy from 1978 to 1979 and commander of the Brigade of Guards from 1968 to 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military dictatorship in Nigeria</span> Nigerian military reign from 1966–1999

The military dictatorship in Nigeria was a period when members of the Nigerian Armed Forces held power in Nigeria from 1966 to 1999 with an interregnum from 1979 to 1983. The military was able to rise to power often with the tacit support of the elite through coup d'états. Since the country became a republic in 1963, there has been a series of military coups in Nigeria.

Paul DikeMSS DSS fwc is a retired air chief marshal of the Nigerian Air Force, who was the Chief of the Air Staff from 2006 to 2008. In August 2008, he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff. Prior to his appointment as Chief of the Air Staff, Dike was Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command. Appointed Commander of the Presidential Air Fleet in 1997 by military dictator General Sani Abacha, he was appointed Chief of Air Staff by General Olusegun Obasanjo's civilian government in 2006.

Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya, ; 3 April 1944 – 26 March 2023) was a Nigerian general and lawyer who served as Chief of General Staff under military head of state General Sani Abacha from 1994 until his arrest for treason in 1997. He also served as Chief of Defence Staff and as military governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdulsalami Abubakar</span> Military head of state of Nigeria from 1998 to 1999

Abdulsalami Abubakar is a Nigerian statesman and retired Nigerian army general who served as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1998 to 1999. He was also Chief of Defence Staff from 1997 to 1998. He succeeded General Sani Abacha upon the latter's death.

The 1966 Nigerian counter-coup was the second of many military coups in Nigeria. It was masterminded by Lt. Colonel Murtala Muhammed and many northern military officers. The coup began as a mutiny at roughly midnight on 28 July 1966 and was a reaction to the killings of Northern politicians and officers by some soldiers on 15 January 1966. The July mutiny/counter coup resulted in the murder of Nigeria's first military Head of State General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and Lt Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi in Ibadan by disgruntled northern non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Upon the termination of Ironsi's government, Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon was appointed Head of State by the coup conspirators.

Dominic Obukadata Oneya was Administrator of Kano State, Nigeria from August 1996 to August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha, then Administrator of Benue State from August 1998 to May 1999 during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, handing over power to the elected executive governor George Akume on 29 May 1999. Later, he became Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association.

Yakubu Mu'azu was Administrator of Sokoto State, Nigeria from 9 December 1993 to 22 August 1996.

Abdullahi Mohammed is a retired Nigerian Army major general, who served as chief of staff to presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar'Adua from 1999 to 2008; National Security Adviser to General Abdusalami Abubakar from 1998 to 1999; Director General of the National Security Organization from 1976 to 1979; and Governor of Benue-Plateau State, Nigeria from July 1975 to February 1976 during the military regime of General Murtala Mohammed.

Colonel (retired) Jibril Bala Yakubu was the first Administrator of Zamfara State after it was created from part of Sokoto State in October 1996, holding office until the return to democracy in May 1999 during the military regimes of Generals Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar. As Zamfara administrator, Yakubu created five Emirates in the state and eleven new District Councils. After handing over to the civilian governor Ahmed Sani Yerima in May 1999, as a former military administrator he was required to retire from the army.

Patrick Aziza was the first military Governor of Kebbi State, Nigeria after it was split off from Sokoto State on 27 August 1991 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the Federal Republic</span> Nigerian order of merit

The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger.

Ishaya Rizi Bamaiyi, is a retired Nigerian Army lieutenant general who served as Chief of Army Staff from 1996 to 1999 during the military regime of Generals Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar. His older brother was Major General Musa Bamaiyi, former Head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Amin Daggash</span> 7th Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria (born 1942)

Al-Amin Musa Daggash is a retired Air Marshal of the Nigerian Air Force who served as the 7th Chief of the Nigerian Defence Staff from 1998 to 1999 under the General Abdulsalami Abubakar regime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant general (Nigeria)</span> Senior rank in the Nigerian Army

Lieutenant general, is the second-highest rank of the Nigerian Army and generally it is the highest active rank as the Nigerian army do not have any appointment in the rank of full general but in the case of the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff, the rank of full general is given. It is the equivalent of a multinational three-star rank.

References

  1. "Ranks - British Army Website". Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012.