Nigerian Military School - Former Students

Former Students

Former students, commonly known as Ex-boys, have been successful in the Nigerian Armed Forces. Notable alumni include Gen. IBM Haruna, Major General Joseph Nanven Garba, Tunde Idiagbon, Buba Marwa, John Nanzip Shagaya, Salihu Ibrahim, Gen Tanko Ayuba, Senator David Mark, Babatunde Chika Adesogan, Nsikan Ntuk, Hon Adole Ameh Raphael, Hon Ponmah Durfa,Arch Dimka Rotkam and Actor Olasunkanmi Omobolanle. The establishment of the Nigerian Military School dates back to the colonial periods. It was part of the general process of Nigerianising the Army as independence became imminent. The origin of the School could be traced to 1951 when it was suggested by the West African Command that a “Boys Company” should be established in each of the four British colonies namely; Nigeria, Gold Coast (now Ghana), Sierra Leone and the Gambia along with the pattern of the “Boys Wing” in the British Army. The idea remained in gestation until 20 May 1954 when the School eventually came into being with an initial intake of thirty (30) Boys, known then as the first platoon. The primary aim of setting up the institution was “to inculcate the family tradition into the force.” Perhaps this explains why the 30 initial recruits of the platoon were mostly children of soldiers (see MARCHING ON – The Nigerian Military School. By Ahmadu and Famola. 1995). The singer D'banj enrolled, then dropped out.

Almost immediately after its establishment, the School became a full-fledged training institution under the regimentation and administration of the defunct Nigerian Regimental Training Centre (NRTC) now Depot Nigerian Army. This however did not make the institution a subsidiary of NRTC.