Nigeria approves recruitment of 28,000 soldiers to tackle rising insecurity

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the recruitment of 28,000 military personnel to "strengthen national security", as the country battles a myriad of conflicts.

Africa's most populous country is fighting a long-running conflict across its northern regions, complicated by inroads made by militants from the Sahel, and non-ideological "bandit" gangs.

Tinubu, up for re-election in January, declared a nationwide security emergency last November as his administration scrambled to respond to a wave of mass kidnappings and violence.

He promised to respond by putting more boots on the ground.

His spokesman Bayo Onanuga said in a statement on Thursday that Tinubu had approved "the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel", calling it "a landmark move to enhance the country's security architecture".

He said the new measures would also see the purchasing of equipment and improvement in troop welfare.

Local media reported last week that the minimum wage for soldiers had been doubled to 100,000 naira ($72) a month for the lowest paid troops.

The government has already launched a recruitment drive for 50,000 police.

The violence in Nigeria has placed the country under increased international scrutiny, drawing criticism from US President Donald Trump who said Nigeria's Christians were being persecuted.

The Nigerian government has rejected the claim, insisting that Christians and Muslims were equally the victims of the violence.

On Wednesday, the Nigerian presidency said Trump had praised Tinubu in a letter for his "decisive leadership" and his resolve "to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities".