Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), has said the Federal Government’s plan to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions would require significant investment in personnel, equipment and logistics to achieve its objectives.
Irabor stated this on Wednesday during an appearance on The Morning Show on Arise Television while reacting to President Bola Tinubu’s plan to strengthen the military.
He described the proposed expansion as a positive development but stressed that the move comes with far-reaching operational and administrative implications.
According to the former defence chief, the existing eight divisions must first be adequately equipped and staffed before the military can effectively accommodate additional formations.
“The expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight divisions to 12 divisions is the right step in the right direction,” he said.
He noted that it was encouraging that President Tinubu appeared fully aware of the challenges confronting the armed forces, expressing confidence that similar attention would be extended to the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force.
“It’s quite heartwarming to know that the Commander-in-Chief himself is well abreast of the shortcomings of the military. If he’s starting with the army, perhaps that’s a good step. I believe that the Navy and the Air Force will be part of the efforts,” Irabor said.
The retired general, however, cautioned that increasing the number of divisions would require substantial resources, including manpower, logistics support and operational equipment.
“First, the existing eight divisions must be properly brought up to scale in terms of personnel, equipment, logistics and so on. I want to believe that the president is well aware of the implications of all that,” he said.
Irabor also welcomed the President’s proposal to recruit 28,000 soldiers, describing it as a significant boost to the military’s manpower strength.
He said while the planned recruitment would add only slightly more than the strength of a division, it remained an important step towards addressing personnel shortages within the armed forces.
“But of course, it’s also good to start from somewhere, meaning that a lot has to go into accommodation for the troops,” he added.
