President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions along with the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel to bolster the country’s security framework.
The move aims to enhance operational effectiveness and the military’s ability to tackle evolving security threats, according to a statement from the Presidency on Thursday.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the decision “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 expansion forms part of wider investments in the military, including new equipment acquisitions, improved troop welfare and force modernisation. “The expansion builds on the administration’s sustained investments in the Armed Forces, including approval for the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improvements in troop welfare, and ongoing support for operational readiness and force modernisation,” the statement added.
Four new divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City. Onanuga said their creation “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 restructuring will proceed in two phases, with the first — covering the 5th, 9th and 10th Divisions and reorganisation of existing formations — due for completion by September 2026. The second phase, including the 83rd Division, is slated for December 2026.
Tinubu commended Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu and all ranks for their dedication, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to ensuring the Armed Forces remain “adequately equipped, highly motivated, and fully capable of protecting the nation and guaranteeing the safety and security of all Nigerians.”
The new structure will see 12 divisions distributed across key regions, from Kaduna in the north to Enugu in the southeast.
