Tinubu approves expansion of Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions

• Recruitment of 28,000 personnel

President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and recruitment of 28,000 personnel.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said in a statement on Thursday that the approval is a “landmark move to enhance the country’s security architecture and improve the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army.”

Onanuga added that the approval reflects the president’s commitment to equipping the armed forces to effectively tackle Nigeria’s changing security challenges and further strengthen the country’s defence capabilities.

The presidential spokesperson said the expansion builds on the administration’s continued investments in the armed forces, including 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, Onanuga said the Nigerian Army will operate 12 divisions: 1 division headquarters, Kaduna (Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states), 2 division headquarters, Ibadan (Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states), 3 Division Headquarters, Jos (Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states), and 5 division headquarters, Makurdi (Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states).

Others are 6 division headquarters, Port Harcourt (Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states), 7 division headquarters, Maiduguri (Borno and Yobe states), 8 division headquarters, Sokoto (Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states), and 9 division headquarters, Ilorin (Kwara and Niger states). also comprises 10 division headquarters, Jalingo (Taraba and Adamawa states), 81 division headquarters, Lagos (Lagos and Ogun states), 82 division headquarters, Enugu (Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states), and 83 division headquarters, Benin City (Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states).