In this article, military accommodation conditions in Nigeria will be briefly explored, salient matters around the poor state of their housing will be looked up, and recommendations will be made for better living standards.
Soldiers’ accommodations are called barracks, which are “large buildings or groups of buildings used to house them (soldiers). Barracks are generally greatly unique from other housing types and, by nature, very different in that their design evolved in response to a temporary and highly controlled activity by a group of people in service of a specific placed-based function separate from where they originate.
The main idea behind the establishment of barracks accommodation for soldiers is to ensure safe, habitable, and sufficient housing accommodation for soldiers, allow unfettered control and command by the units, and reduce off-post housing allowance and associated costs. Barracks are a group of permanent buildings built to accommodate military personnel. They are residential housing units that are not only one of the basic military needs but also an indicator of the living standard of the military personnel.
Military accommodation has to be comfortable, economical, and reasonably maintainable, as well as architecturally pleasant, and the environment must provide the occupants with sound social status and residential fulfilment. Accommodation conditions in barracks are a very important issue because they relate to the soldiers’ social life, status, happiness, morale building, information to policymakers, and the planning of interventions.
As it has been revealed, measures of accommodation conditions provide additional insights regarding individuals’ experience with housing and can be used to evaluate the success of the provided housing programs in Nigeria.
Problems with Military Accommodations in Nigeria
The Nigerian military was established to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty and safeguard the lives and properties of citizens; the roles of the Nigerian Army cannot be overemphasized, as military personnel consistently put their lives on the line to protect the citizens. It is expected that at the end of every operation, soldiers should return to their families in residents provided within Army barracks. Between 1960 and 1966, military personnel had the best accommodation facilities, as the government was keen on ensuring their welfare and comfort.
Furthermore, various departments, such as the Department of Army Logistics and the Department of Special Services Programs, among others, were created to improve the living standard and comfort of the families of soldiers while they are in active operations or transferred to other regions on national duties.
Regrettably, the present condition of accommodations of Nigeria’s military personnel is nothing to write home about. For instance, the accommodations provided in 103 Battalion and 82 Division in Enugu are grossly inadequate and require urgent intervention. As of today, accommodations provided in these Barracks comprise 3bedroom, 2bedroom, 1bedroom, and one-room apartments respectively. Unfortunately, resident soldiers are forced to share apartments with recruits and overplus officials on account of transfers.
The population density in recent times has superseded the initial plans as stipulated by the Department of Army Logistics. The state of the military base of 103 Battalion and 82 Division has brought untold hardship in the face of economic instability, which has for a long time translated to the low standard of living of military personnel. This is unfair. It is not proper that an organized force like the army would live in a deplorable state, and it is still expected that they put in their best effort to protect the sovereignty of the country.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to put the Nigerian military in a bad light, but to help put the government on its toes regarding the need to channel more resources for the benefit of our dear soldiers and their family members to live comfortably, particularly the families of our past fallen heroes.
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