President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army (NA) from eight to twelve divisions as well as the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel with the view of strengthening the security architecture of the country.
This development was made known in a statement issued on Thursday by the special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stating that it “underscores the President’s unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges effectively and to strengthen national defence capabilities further.”
The statement reads in part, “The expansion builds on the administration’s sustained investments in the Armed Forces, including approval for the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improvements in troop welfare, and ongoing support for operational readiness and force modernisation.
“The establishment of the new divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City will significantly 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 response to emerging threats nationwide.”
According to reports, this will take place in two phases.
The first phase is projected to be completed by September 2026, and it involves the establishment of 5, 9 and 10 Divisions and also the reorganisation of existing formations.
The second phase covers the establishment of the 83 Division and further reorganisation and is expected to be completed by December 2026.
The projected divisions and their areas of responsibility are as follows:
1 Division Headquarters located in Kaduna, covering Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states;
2 Division Headquarters located in Ibadan, covering Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states;
3 Division Headquarters in Jos, for Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states;
5 Division Headquarters in Makurdi, covering Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states;
6 Division Headquarters situated in Port Harcourt, covering Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states;
7 Division Headquarters in Maiduguri, for both Borno and Yobe states;
8 Division Headquarters located in Sokoto, covering Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states;
9 Division Headquarters in Ilorin, covering both Kwara and Niger states;
10 Division Headquarters located in Jalingo, covering both Taraba and Adamawa states;
81 Division Headquarters located in Lagos, for both Lagos and Ogun states;
82 Division Headquarters in Enugu, covering Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states; and
83 Division Headquarters in Benin City, covering Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.