President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and authorised the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and enhance the military’s operational capacity.
The approval, announced in a State House statement on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, is aimed at improving the Armed Forces’ ability to respond to the country’s evolving security challenges while reinforcing national defence capabilities.
According to the statement, the expansion forms part of the Tinubu administration’s broader investment in the Armed Forces, which includes the acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improved troop welfare, enhanced operational readiness, and continued force modernisation.
Under the new structure, the Nigerian Army will operate 12 divisions strategically spread across the country.
They include the 1 Division in Kaduna, covering Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states; the 2 Division in Ibadan, covering Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states; the 3 Division in Jos, covering Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states; and the newly established 5 Division in Makurdi, covering Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
Others are the 6 Division in Port Harcourt, covering Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states; the 7 Division in Maiduguri, covering Borno and Yobe states; the 8 Division in Sokoto, covering Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states; the new 9 Division in Ilorin, covering Kwara and Niger states; and the new 10 Division in Jalingo, covering Taraba and Adamawa states.
The remaining formations are the 81 Division in Lagos, covering Lagos and Ogun states; the 82 Division in Enugu, covering Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states; and the newly created 83 Division in Benin City, covering Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.
The Presidency said the establishment of the new divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City would improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure, boost counter-insurgency and internal security operations, and ensure quicker military responses to emerging security threats across the country.
The statement added that the implementation of the new force structure would be carried out in two phases.
The first phase, which includes the establishment of the 5, 9 and 10 divisions and the reorganisation of existing formations, is expected to be completed by September 2026, while the second phase, involving the establishment of the 83 Division and additional restructuring, is scheduled for completion by December 2026.
Tinubu said the approval reflects his administration’s commitment to ensuring the Armed Forces are adequately equipped and positioned to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The President also commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, alongside officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, for what he described as their dedication, professionalism and unwavering commitment to defending the nation.
He reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to continue investing in the Armed Forces to ensure they remain well-equipped, highly motivated and fully capable of protecting lives, property and Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
