Promotion Delays Trigger Tension Among Military Officers

There is growing tension reportedly spreading within the military as hundreds of officers express frustration over prolonged promotion delays linked to a controversial provision in the revised Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 16 December 2024 signed the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS 2024) officers.

At the centre of the discontent is a newly- introduced clause requiring all officers, including Direct Short Service Officers, to complete the Senior Staff Course before they can be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or its equivalent across the services.

However, the director, Defence Information Major General Samaila Uba, said attendance of Staff College has always been a criteria and not a new requirement introduced by the document.

While the policy is intended to strengthen professional development and leadership capacity, many affected personnel argue that its implementation has exposed serious structural gaps, particularly the inadequate training slots available at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, where the course is conducted.

According to sources, the limited capacity of the institution has created a bottleneck that now leaves qualified officers waiting as long as two years or more to secure placement on the mandatory course, despite already meeting other statutory requirements for promotion.

The Nigerian Air Force is said to be the most affected, with over 400 officers reportedly awaiting nomination for the course, while fewer than 100 slots are available annually for the one-year programme.

This means several officers, particularly those on the rank of Squadron Leader, may remain stagnated for an additional three years after already completing the mandatory five years required on the rank before becoming eligible for elevation.

Many officers view the situation as deeply discouraging, noting that promotion in the military is not merely ceremonial, but central to career progression, command opportunities, remuneration, and morale.

One senior officer, who spoke anonymously, described the clause as “well-intentioned but poorly structured,” adding that no promotion policy should be tied to a training pipeline that lacks the capacity to accommodate those expected to pass through it.

Observers say the resulting frustration is contributing to the increasing wave of resignations and voluntary retirements currently being witnessed within this rank bracket, as talented and experienced officers seek opportunities outside military service.

Analysts warn that if left unresolved, the issue could weaken retention, disrupt succession planning, and affect long-term operational effectiveness, especially at a time when the armed forces remain heavily engaged in multiple security operations nationwide.

There are growing calls for military authorities to urgently review the contentious provision, expand course capacity, or introduce transitional measures that prevent capable officers from being unfairly trapped in career stagnation due to institutional limitations.

For many affected officers, the issue is no longer just about promotion—it is about fairness, motivation, and confidence in a system meant to reward merit and service.

General Uba explained that every combatant officer, even the other commissions, must write and pass the junior Staff College exams to go for junior course and must pass the senior Staff College exams to go for senior course.

He reiterated that Staff College attendance is not an introduction of the HTACOS, adding that military does career planning for its officers.

“And even the number admitted in the Staff College is not static. Based on the needs of the army, the slots are increased to ensure that officers who are due will attend. And it is about seniority because you talk about, once you are, the senior people in the list go. It is automatic. Once it is your time, you go.

“So it is not that the Terms and Conditions of Service came and brought a new requirement for entry to college. It is not. So that I can assure you it is not. But it has always been a criteria and the army is always doing career planning for officers. Officers will go based on seniority. When you are due, you attend.

“When the seniors go, the next set goes. And the army is always expanding to even give more slots to carry more, taking cognisance of their career and the number that you need to promote. And you know every year is different.

“There are different courses. Sometimes there are special short service combatant courses that maybe will be due. So to accommodate them with the regular counterparts, you now maybe expand.

“And then you have more officers go in certain things. So it is something that the army takes very seriously, the career planning for its officers. So I want to assure you that there is nothing like that the new TACOS has made staff college attendance at staff college mandatory. It has always been a mandatory requirement to be promoted to the next rank.”