Tinubu Approves 12 Army Divisions, Recruitment Of 28,000 Personnel

President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions as part of fresh measures to strengthen national security and improve military response to emerging threats.

The President also approved the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel into the Army, alongside the acquisition of critical military equipment and increased investment in troop welfare and operational readiness.

The development was announced in a State House statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the Presidency, the restructuring is intended to improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making and enhance the Army’s capacity to respond to insecurity across the country.

Under the approved structure, four new divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City.

The 5 Division Headquarters will be located in Makurdi and cover Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states, while the 9 Division Headquarters in Ilorin will cover Kwara and Niger states.

The 10 Division Headquarters will be based in Jalingo and cover Taraba and Adamawa states, while the 83 Division Headquarters in Benin City will oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.

The existing 1 Division Headquarters in Kaduna will cover Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while the 2 Division Headquarters in Ibadan will oversee Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states.

The 3 Division Headquarters in Jos will cover Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states, while the 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt will cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

The 7 Division Headquarters in Maiduguri will continue to oversee Borno and Yobe states, while the 8 Division Headquarters in Sokoto will cover Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

The 81 Division Headquarters in Lagos will cover Lagos and Ogun states, while the 82 Division Headquarters in Enugu will oversee Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states.

The Presidency said the establishment of the new divisions would strengthen border security and improve the protection of critical national infrastructure.

It added that the new structure would also enhance counter-insurgency and internal security operations and enable faster military response to threats nationwide.

According to the statement, “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.”

The government said implementation of the new structure would be carried out in two phases.

The first phase will involve the establishment of the 5, 9 and 10 Divisions, as well as the reorganisation of existing formations, and is expected to be completed by September 2026.

The second phase will cover the establishment of the 83 Division in Benin City and further restructuring of Army formations.

The Presidency said the second phase was expected to be completed by December 2026.

Tinubu also commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, as well as officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army for their dedication and commitment to national security.

The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to continued investment in the Armed Forces.