Nigerian Army Ranks And Symbols

The Nigerian Army ranks and symbols. The Nigerian Army is one of the best Army in Africa and in the world at large. Many people only hear the ranks of the Nigerian Army but they don’t know the symbol that represents each rank. In this post we will be looking at the symbols of each rank in the Nigerian Army.

Unlike the Navy where their ranks and symbols are almost the same in the whole world, the Army is totally different. They have different symbols and ranks for each country in the world.

In our previous post, we wrote about the Nigerian Army ranks, salary and allowances. We never mentioned of the symbols which represents the ranks. We have also written about the Nigerian Navy ranks and symbols and the Nigerian Air Force ranks and symbols.

Before we talk about the symbols of the ranks in the Nigerian Army, let’s first look at the ranks.

The Nigerian Army rank is divided into two, the Commissioned Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs). Each rank carries specific responsibilities and symbol.

Nigerian Army Commissioned Officers

They are those that went to the Nigerian defence academy and spend a period of 5 years on training. Or they can be those that are commissioned as DSSC or SSC. You can read about the difference between DSSC and SSC in the Nigerian Army. Below is the Nigerian Army Commissioned officers ranks.

Nigerian Army Ranks

1. Second Lieutenant
2. Lieutenant
3. Captain
4. Major
5. Lieutenant Colonel
6. Colonel
7. Brigadier General
8. Major General
9. Lieutenant General
10. General

Nigerian Army Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)

The Nigerian Army Non Commissioned officers are those that went for the Nigerian Army basic training and spent a period of six months on training. The ranks below are the ranks of the non commissioned officers in the Nigerian Army.

• Private
• Lance Corporal
• Corporal
• Sergeant
• Staff Sergeant
• Warrant Officer
• Master Warrant Officer
• Army Warrant Officer

Nigerian Army Ranks and Symbols

Commissioned Officers:

• Second Lieutenant (2LT)
  Symbol: A single star.
  Description: The entry-level rank for officers.
• Lieutenant (LT)
  Symbol: Two stars.
  Description: The rank above Second Lieutenant.
• Captain (CAPT)
  Symbol: Three stars.
  Description: A mid-level officer rank.
• Major (MAJ)
  Symbol: A single Eagle.
  Description: Senior to a Captain.
• Lieutenant Colonel (LT COL)
  Symbol: A star and an Eagle.
  Description: Senior to a Major.
• Colonel (COL)
  Symbol: Two stars and the eagle.
  Description: Senior to a Lieutenant Colonel.
• Brigadier General (BRIG GEN) Symbol: Three stars and an Eagle. Description: The first of the general officer ranks.
• Major General (MAJ GEN)
  Symbol: A sword and baton crossed, with a an eagle.
  Description: Senior to a Brigadier General.
• Lieutenant General (LT GEN) Symbol: A sword and baton crossed, with one star and Eagle. Description: Senior to a Major General.
• General (GEN)
  Symbol: A sword and baton crossed, with two stars and eagle.
  Description: The highest rank for a general.
• Field Marshall                          Symbol: A sword and baton crossed and rounded, with an eagle. Description: The highest rank in the Military.

Non Commissioned Officers:

• Private (PTE)
  Symbol: No insignia.
  Description: The entry-level rank for non commissioned personnel.
• Lance Corporal (LCPL)
  Symbol: A single chevron.
  Description: The next rank above Private.
• Corporal (CPL)
  Symbol: Two chevrons.
  Description: Senior to a Lance Corporal.
• Sergeant (SGT)
  Symbol: Three chevrons.
  Description: Senior to a Corporal.
• Staff Sergeant (SSGT)
  Symbol: Three chevrons with a single eagle on top.
  Description: Senior to a Sergeant.
• Warrant Officer (WO)
  -Symbol: A royal coat of arms.
  Description**: Senior to a Staff Sergeant.
• Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Symbol: A royal coat of arms within a laurel wreath.
  Description: Senior to a Warrant Officer Class II.
• Army Master Warrant Officer (AWO)                                        Symbol: The national coat of arms within a laurel wreath.     Description: The highest non-commissioned officer rank.

Below is also the Image that shows the ranks and symbols of the Nigerian Army.

The list of ranks above and the symbols are the ranks and symbols in the Nigerian Army.