Nigerian Military Banned From Marrying Foreigners

Saturday November 8, 2025
www.thenewsdesk.ng

The Nigerian Armed Forces have banned military personnel from marrying foreigners and naturalised Nigerians.

According to the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS) of the Armed Forces Act 2024, it is also illegal for commissioned officers to marry non-commissioned officers, such as soldiers, ratings, or airwomen.

Service chiefs are under strict orders to implement the new rules.

It reads in part: “This Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service Officers 2024 has been promulgated to ensure uniform implementation and it supersedes the previous HTACOS Officers 2017.

The contents are to be strictly observed on all occasions and interpreted reasonably and intelligently, with due respect to the interest of the Services, bearing in mind that no attempt has been made to provide for unnecessary and self-evident exceptions. This HTACOS is subject to review after five years.”

Chapter 25 of the new rule deals with marriages for the officers and soldiers of the Armed Forces.

Specifically, Subsection 5 of the document states that “no officer is allowed to marry a foreigner or a naturalised Nigerian.”

The HTACOS document is subject to review after five years.

The 2024 edition of the HTACOS, as approved by the Armed Forces Council, came into effect on December 6, 2024, when it was signed by the President.

According to Chapter 25, Subsection 1, a second lieutenant, midshipman and pilot officer (2Lt/Mid/Plt Offr) is on probation and is expected to live in the Officers’ Mess without a spouse.

Also, he is not allowed to marry, and if he has been married before he went to the Academy, though his records may show this fact, he will not be recognised as a married officer for the purpose of accommodation, pay and other allowances applicable to married officers.

However, Subsection 2 of the same chapter states that “where a soldier/rating/airman is commissioned into any of the Services’ Corps/Branch/Specialty from the ranks as 2Lt/Mid/Plt Officer and the officer was married before commissioning, he will live in the Officers’ Mess for a minimum of three months. Thereafter, he may be given married accommodation if available or lodging allowance in lieu.”

According to the law, before marriage, officers are required to obtain approval from higher authorities and subject their partners to a vetting process.

Chapter 25, Subsection 3-4 states: “Any officer who is not yet married must first seek approval of the appropriate superior authority of his/her intention to marry. An RCC officer shall not be eligible to apply to marry until after five years of commissioning.

The approval shall be granted only after vetting and clearance of the officer’s proposed spouse by the appropriate superior authority.”

“If an officer marries a soldier/rating/airman/airwoman under any of the existing ordinances, the officer or the soldier/rating/airman/airwoman will be given the option to leave the Service from the date of such marriage. Where personnel married to fellow personnel are commissioned, the spouse of the commissioned officer shall be discharged from Service. It is an offence for an officer to conceal his marriage to a soldier/rating/airman/airwoman for the purpose of preventing the officer or the soldier/rating/airman/airwoman from leaving the Service.”