The Nigerian army has ordered all its officers and men to immediately begin learning three major local languages; Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, by December 2018, local online website, the Premium Times reports.
A statement by army spokesperson, Sani Usman, said that the order is part of the new language policy by the army.
The move is also meant to better communication with the population, enhance information gathering, civil-military relations, increase understanding between militaries when operating abroad and help officers and soldiers perform their duties professionally, the report said.
Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa languages could be used during Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) activities or interrogation.
The ability to speak the 3 major Nigerian languages will be an added advantage to those applying for recruitment or commissioning into the Nigerian Army.
