President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel to strengthen the country’s security architecture.
The approval was announced in a State House statement on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the Presidency, the move is aimed at improving the Army’s operational effectiveness and boosting Nigeria’s capacity to tackle evolving security challenges.
The expansion also builds on the administration’s investments in the Armed Forces, including the acquisition of military platforms and equipment, improved troop welfare, operational readiness and force modernisation.
Under the new structure, the Army will operate 12 divisions across the country. Four new divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City, while the existing divisions in Kaduna, Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Lagos and Enugu will remain.
The Presidency said the additional divisions would improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, protect critical national infrastructure, enhance counter-insurgency operations and enable quicker military responses to emerging threats nationwide.
Implementation of the new force structure will be carried out in two phases.
The first phase, covering the establishment of the 5 Division in Makurdi, 9 Division in Ilorin and 10 Division in Jalingo, as well as the reorganisation of existing formations, is expected to be completed by September 2026.
The second phase, involving the establishment of the 83 Division in Benin City and further reorganisation of Army formations, is scheduled for completion by December 2026.
Tinubu commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, and officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to defending Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to continued investment in the Armed Forces to ensure they remain well-equipped, highly motivated and capable of protecting the nation and its citizens.
