President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, alongside the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture.
The development was announced on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the Presidency, the expansion is aimed at improving the Army’s operational capacity and response to Nigeria’s changing security challenges.
Under the new structure, four additional divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City.
The existing divisions are located in Kaduna, Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Lagos and Enugu.
The Presidency said the new formations would strengthen command and control, improve border security and protect critical national infrastructure.
It added that the expansion would also boost counter-insurgency operations and enable faster military response to emerging threats across the country.
“The expanded force structure is part of the administration’s sustained investment in the Armed Forces,” the Presidency said, noting that the investment also covers modern military equipment, improved troop welfare and force modernisation.
The new 5 Division in Makurdi will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states, while the 9 Division in Ilorin will cover Kwara and Niger states.
The 10 Division in Jalingo will be responsible for Taraba and Adamawa states, while the 83 Division in Benin City will cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.
Implementation of the new structure will be in two phases, with the first phase involving the 5, 9 and 10 Divisions and reorganisation of existing formations expected to be completed by September 2026.
The second phase, which includes the establishment of the 83 Division and further restructuring, is expected to be completed by December 2026.
President Tinubu commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, and officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army for their service, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the Armed Forces remain well-equipped, motivated and ready to defend Nigeria.
