The Defence Headquarters provided an update on Armed Forces operations (photo: DHQ). In the latest Global Fire Power (GFP) ranking, Nigeria’s military slipped one place, moving from 35th out of 142 countries in 2022 to 36th out of 145 countries in 2023. The drop also saw Nigeria fall from third to fourth among African nations.
Globally, the United States retains the top position, followed by Russia, China, India, and the United Kingdom. South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, France and Italy occupy the sixth through tenth spots, respectively. Within Africa, Egypt leads the continent and ranks 14th worldwide, Algeria is second and 26th globally, while South Africa holds the 33rd position, making it the third‑ranked African nation.
GFP’s methodology evaluates over 60 factors—including military units, financial resources, logistical capabilities and geography—to calculate each nation’s Power Index (PwrIndx) score. For 2023, Nigeria’s PwrIndx is 0.5587, placing it 36th of 145 countries reviewed.
When asked whether the ranking accurately reflects Nigeria’s military strength, Director of Defence Information Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau declined to comment. Security expert Timothy Avele suggested that the decline may stem from a lack of publicly available information on recent hardware acquisitions and from an accidental bombing incident involving the Nigerian Air Force. He noted, “There are a lot of factors that may be responsible for the lower ranking. One of the key factors is the lack of official information on the latest military hardware. I suspect that the Air Force mishap could have also contributed. However, this ranking does not really show the true military power of a nation.”
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