Nigeria Armed Forces’ annual ranking in the 2024 Global Firepower (GFP) has dropped to 39th, marking the third consecutive decline after being ranked 36th in 2023 and 35th in 2022.
The country’s army failed to improve its annual ranking despite Nigeria’s recent acquisition of advanced fighter jets and military assets, as well as reported progress in combating terrorism within its borders.
Nigeria also slipped from third to fourth place in Africa, as Egypt retained its position as the continent’s strongest military, followed by Algeria and South Africa.
Some of the categories considered showed that Nigeria ranked at the bottom in terms of helicopter carrier fleet strength, tanker fleet strength, destroyer fleet strength, naval corvette fleet strength, submarine fleet strength, and reserve military strength, ranking 145th among all the countries reviewed.
It also ranked poorly in terms of crude oil consumption and natural gas consumption.
However, Nigeria scored excellently in total available manpower, population fit-for-service, and paramilitary strength, among others.
The drop in rankings raises questions about Nigeria’s defence capabilities and resource allocation amidst its ongoing security challenges.
The Global Firepower ranking utilises 60 individual factors to determine a nation’s Power Index (PwrIndx) score, with categories ranging from the quality of military units and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography. Nigeria’s Power Index score for 2024 was 0.5619, with a score of 0.0000 representing the pinnacle of military strength.
Globally, the United States retained the top spot for the 18th consecutive year. Other global powers such as Russia, China, India, and South Korea rounded out the top five.
Notable African nations such as Ethiopia, Angola, Morocco, and the Democratic Republic of Congo also appeared in the rankings, reflecting the continent’s diverse military landscape.
A total of 145 countries were considered in the 2024 Global Firepower review.
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