Nigeria Drops in Global Military Rankings, US Retains Top Spot

The Nigerian Armed Forces have fallen three places in the latest Global Firepower (GFP) ranking, now occupying the 39th position out of 145 countries in the 2024 military review. This decline follows a consistent drop from its 36th position in 2023 and 35th in 2022, despite notable acquisitions such as fighter jets and reported successes in counter-terrorism efforts.

Within Africa, Nigeria also slipped from third to fourth position, behind Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa. Ethiopia, Angola, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia, and Sudan complete the continent’s top ten.

Globally, the United States maintained its number-one position for the 18th consecutive year, credited with “commanding values in many major material, financial, and resource categories.” Following the US are Russia, China, India, and South Korea, occupying the second to fifth spots, respectively. The United Kingdom, Japan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Italy round out the top ten.

The ranking, based on over 60 factors, assesses military strength through parameters such as the quantity of military assets, financial resources, logistics, and geography. According to the GFP report, “smaller, technologically advanced nations can compete with larger, less-developed powers due to unique in-house formulas and modifiers.”

Nigeria’s current Power Index (PwrIndx) score is 0.5619, with a score of 0.0000 considered “perfect.” This reflects a mix of strengths and limitations in the nation’s military capabilities.

When contacted, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the Director of Defence Information, stated, “I am not aware of the ranking and I can’t comment on it.”