Tinubu orders recruitment of 28,000 Personnel

..,.expansion of Nigerian Army to 12  divisions

By Uchenna Okeh Abakaliki 

President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture and improve military operations nationwide.

The approval was announced on Thursday in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who described the decision as a significant milestone in the administration’s drive to enhance national security and bolster the operational capacity of the Nigerian Army.

According to the statement, the expansion reflects the President’s commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to tackle Nigeria’s evolving security challenges through increased manpower, improved logistics, enhanced troop welfare and sustained military modernisation.Under the new arrangement, the Army will operate 12 divisions strategically spread across the country. 

Four new divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City, while existing formations will be reorganised to improve operational efficiency.The new structure places the divisions as follows: 1 Division, Kaduna; 2 Division, Ibadan; 3 Division, Jos; 5 Division, Makurdi; 6 Division,

Others are;  Port Harcourt; 7 Division, Maiduguri; 8 Division, Sokoto; 9 Division, Ilorin; 10 Division, Jalingo; 81 Division, Lagos; 82 Division, Enugu; and 83 Division, Benin City, with each division responsible for designated states within its operational area.

The Presidency said the creation of the new divisions would strengthen command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, improve border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure, boost counter-insurgency and internal security operations, 

And ensure quicker responses to emerging security threats.Implementation of the new force structure will be executed in two phases. 

The first phase, involving 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, which includes the establishment of the 83 Division and additional restructuring, will be concluded by December 2026.

The statement noted that the expansion builds on the Tinubu administration’s ongoing investments in the Armed Forces, including the acquisition of military platforms and equipment, improvements in troop welfare and continued support for operational readiness.President Tinubu 

He also commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, alongside officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, for their professionalism, dedication and commitment to safeguarding

 Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.He reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to continue investing in the Armed Forces to ensure they remain well-equipped, motivated and capable of addressing the nation’s security challenges.