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 Presidency stated that the decision aims to boost the Army’s operational capacity and help forces adapt to evolving security challenges across Nigeria.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Thursday.
Onanuga said the approval “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 Nigerian Army Expansion forms part of the administration’s broader military drive to recruit more troops, procure advanced platforms and equipment, upgrade soldier welfare, and modernize force operations.
Under this restructured framework, the Nigerian Army will deploy 12 strategic divisions across the country.
The Presidency noted that placing new divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo, and Benin City will sharpen military coordination and accelerate emergency response times.
“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,” Onanuga stated.
Meanwhile, military authorities will execute the restructuring across two distinct phases.
The first phase, which involves establishing the 5th, 9th, and 10th Divisions alongside reorganizing existing formations, should conclude by September 2026.
The second phase, which entails creating the 83rd Division and conducting further realignments, will wrap up by December 2026.
Speaking further, Tinubu applauded the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, and officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army for their dedication and commitment to defending the nation.
The divisions and their areas of responsibility are:
- 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;
- 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt, covering Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states;
- 7 Division Headquarters in Maiduguri, covering Borno and Yobe states;
- 8 Division Headquarters in Sokoto, covering Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states;
- 9 Division Headquarters in Ilorin, covering Kwara and Niger states;
- 10 Division Headquarters in Jalingo, covering Taraba and Adamawa states;
- 81 Division Headquarters in Lagos, covering 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.
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