President Bola Tinubu has approved the Nigerian Army’s expansion from eight to twelve divisions, as well as the recruitment of an additional 28,000 military troops.
The announcement came as the presidency announced that the change is intended to decentralize command, bolster border security, and improve response times to emerging threats around the country.
According to a statement signed Thursday by the Presidency’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the expansion will result in the establishment of four additional divisional headquarters in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo, and Benin City.
Onanuga stated that under the new 12-division structure, the Nigerian Army will be deployed as follows: 1 Division Headquarters in Kaduna, covering Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states; 2 Division Headquarters in Ibadan, covering Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo states; 3 Division Headquarters in Jos, covering Plateau, Bauchi, and Gombe states; 5 Division Headquarters in Makurdi, covering Benue, Nasarawa, and Kogi states; and 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt, covering Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states.
The structure consists of seven division headquarters in Maiduguri, covering Borno and Yobe states; eight division headquarters in Sokoto, covering Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states; nine division headquarters in Ilorin, covering Kwara and Niger states; and ten division headquarters in Jalingo, covering Taraba and Adamawa.
There will also be 81 Division Headquarters in Lagos, covering Lagos and Ogun states; 82 Division Headquarters in Enugu, covering Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, and Imo states; and 83 Division Headquarters in Benin City, covering Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa states.
The Presidency also stated that the four new divisional commands would significantly improve command and control, decentralize operational decision-making, improve counter-insurgency and internal security operations, strengthen border security, and enable a faster military response to emerging threats.
According to the plan, implementation would take place in two parts.
The first phase, which includes the formation of the 5th, 9th, and 10th Divisions as well as the rearrangement of current formations, is scheduled to be finished in September 2026.
The second phase, which involves forming the 83rd Division and further rearrangement, is projected to complete by December 2026.
The expansion is backed by a recruitment drive to hire 28,000 new soldiers and is part of a bigger plan to improve security, which includes buying important military equipment, enhancing soldier welfare, and ensuring that the forces are ready and modernized.
“Tinubu commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, and all officers and soldiers for their dedication and professionalism,” the statement read.
Tinubu also restated his administration’s commitment to keeping the Armed Forces well-equipped, motivated, and capable of protecting the country.
