17 Nigerian Army Requirements for DSSC Recruitment

Having met the requirements of the Nigerian Army DSSC recruitments, you can follow these steps to apply.
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In this article, we discuss the extensively on the requirements list for the Nigerian Army DSSC recruitment and the application process.

But before we continue, let us look at a brief history of the Nigerian Army.

Lt. Glover of the Royal Navy established the Nigerian Army in 1863, starting with the name “Glover Hausas”.

Glover, as governor of Lagos, led the small force to punish and protect British trade routes. It played the roles of both police and military for the Lagos colonial government.

In incorporation and merged into the West Africa Frontier Force (WAFF) in 1901, it became “Lagos Battalion”.

The merger gave birth to the Northern Nigerian Regiment and Southern Nigerian Regiment, with Lt CHP Carter being the first commander.

Below are the requirements you must meet to be eligible to apply for the Nigerian Army DSSC recruitment exercise.

Requirements for The Nigerian Army DSSC Recruitments

1) Applicants must be Nigerian citizen by origin or by birth.

2) To be eligible, you must be between the ages of 20 and 30 (except medical consultants between 25 -40 years of age).

3) The Nigerian Army requires you to be in top-notch shape, medically, mentally, and physically.

4) Have at least two of the referees below who can vouch for your character. Attach passport photos of the referees to the letter of attestation.

  • A Local Government Chairman/Secretary
  • An officer of the Armed Forces not below the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent
  • An Assistant Commissioner of Police and above who must hail from the applicant’s state of origin. 

5) A letter of Attestation is required from former institutions.

6) The minimum height requirement for males is at least 1.68m, while females must be at least 1.65m tall.

7) You must not have a criminal record from any court of law.

8) Possess a first degree or HND from an accredited institution with no less than Second Class Lower or Lower Credit, respectively.

9) Provide a stamped birth certificate or age declaration and a valid state of origin certificate.

10) Applicants must possess an NYSC discharge certificate or valid exemption certificate.

11) Graduates with professional qualifications must be registered by recognized regulating bodies before cadet training starts.

12) You must submit original copies of all educational certificates and your post secondary academic credentials not over ten years from the date issued.

13) Provide valid contact info for your parents/guardians and Next of Kin.

14) You must not have any bodily inscriptions or tattoos.

15) If you are a service personnel, you need to present your military ID, service sponsorship (where applicable) and a recommendation letter from your commanding officer. Also, you must have served for at least 5 years.

16) You must not belong to any cult/society/fraternity.

17) If you can swim, that’s an added advantage.

If you do not meet these requirements, you can apply for the Nigerian Army regular recruitment.

The Nigerian Army Service Conditions You Should Know

1) The DSSC is granted for 15 years, initially for 8 years with an option to renew for 7 years.

2) As a DSSC officer, you shall be on probation for the first 3 years of service. Afterwards, you may choose to convert to the DRC.

3) Please, it’s based on application and meeting the Nigerian Army DRC requirements.

4) Officer cadets must sign an acceptance before commission into the NA.

5) Civilian officers’ period of service is based on cadet training start date, while military applicants’ reckonable service starts from enlistment.

6) The Nigerian Army commissions officer cadets who complete military training as Lieutenants and medical consultants as Majors.

Nigerian Army Requirements for DSSC Corps and Services Recruitment

Here are corps and services requirements to submit applications to the Nigerian Army DSSC recruitment. Check which applies to you.

1) Nigerian Army Engineers: BSc (Eng), B Eng or HND

Land Surveyor, Structural Engineering, Architecture, and Building Engineering/ Technology, Estate Management, Civil Engineering, GIS/Survey, Automotive, Electronics, Mechatronics, Systems, Weapon and Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial/Production Engineering, Marine Architecture, Material Science.

You must register with the Nigerian Society of Engineers and COREN.

2) Nigerian Army Signals: BSc, B Tech, B Engr or HND

Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cyber Security, Software Developer, Software Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Control Security Engineering, Network Designer and Engineering, UAV Pilot, Geographic Information Systems Engineering, Microwave Engineering, Database Management Engineering and Administrator, Project Manager Engineering and System Control Engineering, Satellite Communication Engineering.

3) Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps: BSc, B Eng, B Tech, BA or HND

History, Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, Peace and Conflict Analysis, Political Science/International and Public Relations, Computer Science, Information Technology Systems, Digital/Computer Forensics, Cyber/Network Security, Network Engineering, GIS/GEOINT, Data Science, Geospatial Intelligence, Psychology, French, Arabic, Local Language Experts (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulfulde and Kanuri), Data Analyst, Social Media Specialist, and Digital Forensics/Forensic Analysis.

4) Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport: BSc, BA or HND

Petrochemical Engineering, Dieticians, Food and Nutrition, Automotive Engineering, Logistics Management, Railway Operations Management, Shipping and Supply Chain Management.

5) Nigerian Army Medical Corps: BSc/MBBS/B.Pharm

General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Anaesthesia, Neuro-Surgery, Cardiothoracic, ENT Surgery, Physicians (Cardiologists, Endocrinologist, Nephrologists and Neurologists), Ophthalmologists, Obstetrics and Gynaecologists, Pediatricians and Family Medicine Physicians, Orthopaedic, Anaesthetist, Registered or Psychiatric Nurses, Speech Therapy, Optometrists, Environmental Health Technology, Dental Technologist, Medical Laboratory Science, Psychologists, Occupational Therapy, or Dental Therapist, Pharmacist.

6) Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps: BSc, B Eng, BA or HND

Textile Technology, Textile Design, Graphic Design, Explosives Engineering, Warehouse Management, Inventory Control and Management, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Explosive Science and Technology, Industrial Design, Printing Technology, Inventory Management, Graphics Art and Ballistics.

7) Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police – LLB BL, BSc, BA or HND:

Forensic Science, Psychology, Veterinary Doctors or Criminology.

8) Nigerian Army Education Corps – BSc (Ed) or BA (Ed)

Museology, Arts/Languages, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Agricultural Science, Electronics, Computer Science/ICT, Accounting, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Public Administration, Museum and Archival Studies, Guidance and Counselling, Education Technology, Physical and Health Education, Education Administration/Management, Library and Information Science, Curriculum Development/Studies, Military History/History, English Language, Hausa, French, Yoruba, Igbo, Christian Religious Studies, Islamic Religious Studies, Portuguese, Fine Art/Theatre Arts, Arabic.

9) Nigerian Army Finance Corps – BA or HND:

Accounting, Economics, Banking and Finance, Business & Financial Management.

Membership with a professional accountancy body is compulsory

10) Nigerian Army Band Corps – BA or HND

Music with an Associate of Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) and Associate of Royal College of Music (ARCM), Musicologist.

11) Directorate of Army Public Relations – BSc, BA or HND:

Journalism, Digital Media Studies, Radio Production, Strategic Communication and Public Relations, Printing Technology, Animation and Graphic Design, Mass Communication, Public Affairs, Television Production, Social Media Communications, Cinematography.

12) Directorate of Legal Services – LLB BL: 

Evidence of 2 years of legal practice after Law School is mandatory.

13) Directorate of Army Physical Training – BSc or BA or HND:

Human Kinetics, Sports Law, Physiotherapy, Sports and Exercise Medicine, Physical Health Education, Sports Psychology, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Sports Coaching

(You must possess a certificate from National Institute of Sports in Athletics, Ball Games, Racket Games, Aquatics, Combat Sports and Golf).

14) Directorate of Chaplain Services (Roman Catholic):

BA in Philosophy or Theology or be an Ordained Catholic Priest from a Roman Catholic approved seminary, affiliated to a National Universities Commission accredited University or Urbanian University, Rome.

To apply, you must be in good standing with the Church and have a release from a Diocesan Bishop, along with proof of ordination.

Also, you need approval from the NA Directorate of Chaplain Services (Roman Catholic).

15) Directorate of Chaplain Services (Protestant):

BA in Divinity Theology from any of the Seminaries/Universities recognized by the NA Directorate of Chaplain Services (Protestant).

Applicants must belong to one of the 18 major denominations of the protestant faith.

Soldier applicants require 6 years of chaplaincy experience in the Nigerian Army and the Directorate of Chaplain Services (Protestant) recommendation.

Applicants must be certified by an ordained Bishop.

16) Directorate of Islamic Affairs – BA, or B Ed:

Islamic Studies, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Arabic, LLB Sharia, Islamic Theology, Qur’anic Science, Hadith Sciences, Qur’anic Exegesis, Islamic Jurisprudence, Comparative Religious Studies from recognized Nigerian universities, Azhar University, Cairo or Saudi University.

You will need testimony of excellent character from a reputable Islamic religious organization in Nigeria.

Last, you must be fluent in both Arabic and English language.

How to Apply to the Nigerian Army DSSC Recruitment

Having met the requirements of the Nigerian Army DSSC recruitments, you can follow these steps to apply.

1) Visit Nigerian Army website and click on the Apply Now button.

2) Immediately, it will prompt you to choose whether you are a current or former member of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Choose the option that applies to you and fill out the form.

3) Then, you can submit the following before submitting your application.

  • Passport photograph.
  • Educational certificates.
  • Evidence of membership of any professional body.
  • Certificate of state of origin.
  • Birth certificate or age declaration.
  • NIN/BVN.
  • And any other needed documents or information.

4) Print out your online generated photo-slip on completion of your application.

5) The Registrar of a Court of Law should sign the first page and the second page by your Local Government Chairman/Secretary or a military officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or higher from your state of origin.

6) If your application is successful, you will write an exam in any of the assigned centers. At the examination centres, you will provide your photo-slips, guarantor form, attestation form, and more.

Application for the Nigerian Army DSSC recruitment is FREE.

Nigerian Army Ranks and Salary

RanksMonthly Salary
RanksCommissioned Officers
General₦1,500,000
Lieutenant General₦1,000,000
Major General₦950,000
Brigadier General₦750,000
Colonel₦550,000
Lieutenant Colonel₦350,000
Major₦300,000
Captain₦220,000
Lieutenant₦180,000
Second Lieutenant ₦120,000
RanksNon-Commissioned Officers
Army Warrant Officer₦180,000
Master Warrant Officer₦120,000
Warrant Officer₦95,000
Staff Sergeant₦80,000
Sergeant ₦70,000
Corporal₦60,000
Lance Corporal₦57,000
Private Soldier₦50,000
Table showing Nigerian Army Ranks and Salary

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is the Nigerian army DSSC form out?

    The Nigerian Army DSSC courses recruitment registration form comes out every January and the portal closes February of the same year. You can check the official website to confirm.

  2. Is the Nigerian Army DSSC shortlist out?

    The Nigerian Army DSSC shortlist takes between 4 to 6 weeks after the registration deadline date. The list would consist eligible candidates for the training exercise.

  3. How long is Nigerian army DSSC training?

    The training period is usually 6 months of intensive military training and successful candidates are commissioned into the rank of Lieutenants.

  4. What are the requirements for the Nigerian Army DSSC?

    The Nigerian Army recruitment requirements are as follows: You must be a Nigeria citizen with a graduate degree not less than Second Class Lower or Lower Credit. And so many others.

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