By Our Reporter
President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and authorised the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and enhance the military’s operational effectiveness.
The approval, announced in a State House statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, is aimed at boosting the Armed Forces’ capacity to tackle the country’s evolving security challenges and reinforce national defence.
According to the statement, the expansion forms part of the Tinubu administration’s sustained investments in the military, which include the acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improvements in troop welfare, and continued support for operational readiness and force modernisation.
Under the new structure, the Nigerian Army will operate 12 divisions strategically located across the country. Existing headquarters in Kaduna, Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Lagos and Enugu will be retained, while four new divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City.
The new division headquarters will cover the following areas: Kaduna Division will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states; Ibadan Division will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo; Jos Division will oversee Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe; Makurdi Division will cover Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi; Port Harcourt Division will supervise Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River; Maiduguri Division will oversee Borno and Yobe; Sokoto Division will cover Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara; Ilorin Division will supervise Kwara and Niger; Jalingo Division will oversee Taraba and Adamawa; Lagos Division will cover Lagos and Ogun; Enugu Division will oversee Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo; while Benin City Division will supervise Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.
The Presidency said the establishment of the new divisions would improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure, improve counter-insurgency and internal security operations, and ensure faster military responses to emerging threats across the country.
Implementation of the new force structure will be carried out in two phases. The first phase, involving the establishment of the 5, 9 and 10 Divisions, as well as the reorganisation of existing formations, is expected to be completed by September 2026. The second phase, which includes the establishment of the 83 Division in Benin City and further reorganisation, is scheduled for completion by December 2026.
President Tinubu commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, alongside officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, for their professionalism, dedication and commitment to defending Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The President also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to continued investment in the Armed Forces to ensure they remain well-equipped, highly motivated and fully prepared to safeguard the nation and protect the lives and property of Nigerians.
