Nigeria – the acclaimed Giant of Africa may not be the most Gigantic in Military Firepower as the country has been ranked as Africa’s third most powerful military force in the 2025 Global Firepower Index, trailing only Egypt and Algeria in continental standings.
The annual assessment evaluates over 60 defense indicators including troop strength, armament diversity, and logistical capabilities.
While Nigeria maintains its position from last year’s rankings, the report highlighted ongoing security challenges despite the military’s numerical advantage.
South Africa and Ethiopia complete the top five African nations in the global assessment, which saw Egypt ranked 19th worldwide, thereby becoming the continent’s sole entry in the top 20 global military powers.
The index comes as Nigeria’s armed forces continue counterinsurgency operations against Boko Haram and bandit groups in northern regions.