The Army chief, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding for newly created Nigerian Army divisions as the military expands its command structure to bolster operations nationwide.
The appointments follow President Bola Tinubu’s approval to create four new Nigerian Army divisions, driving ongoing efforts to strengthen operational capabilities, command structures, and responses to emerging security threats.
According to a statement posted on the Nigerian Army’s official X account on Wednesday, the new formations will commence operations once they achieve Initial Operational Capability, while military leadership implements deliberate measures to reach Full Operational Capability.
It stated, “A total of N5.81tn was released and cash-backed to MDAs for their 2024 capital projects and programmes in 2024 fiscal year. Available fiscal data revealed that only N3.27tn (81.91 per cent) of the total amount released and cash-backed was utilized by MDAs.”
The military stated that the step-by-step activation of the new divisions aims to ensure seamless operationalization, continuity, and rapid force projection across the country.
Under the new structure, 1 Division Kaduna will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States, while 2 Division Ibadan will manage Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo States.
3 Division Jos will cover Plateau, Bauchi, and Gombe States, while the newly created 5 Division Makurdi will take charge of Benue, Nasarawa, and Kogi States.
6 Division Port Harcourt will manage Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States, while 7 Division Maiduguri will maintain responsibility for Borno and Yobe States.
8 Division Sokoto will continue to serve Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara States.
Backstory…
The appointments follow the Federal Government’s recent approval to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to twelve divisions as part of a sweeping military reform aimed at strengthening national security.
President Bola Tinubu also approved the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel to boost the Army’s operational capacity, improve command structures and enhance responses to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other security threats across the country.
Read Also: Tinubu Approves Nigerian Army Expansion to 12 Divisions
