FORMER director of Defence of Information (DDI), Chris Olukolade, a retired Maj-Gen., said that the expansion of the Nigerian Army to 12 Divisions will significantly strengthen national security and improve operational effectiveness.
President Bola Tinubu recently approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 Divisions and authorised the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and enhance the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army.
A statement issued by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, July 23, in Abuja, said the decision reflects Tinubu’s commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to tackle evolving security challenges and reinforce national defence capabilities.
The statement said the expansion builds on sustained investments in the military, including acquisition of critical platforms, improved troop welfare and support for operational readiness and force modernisation.
Under the new structure, the Army will operate 12 Divisions strategically located across the country. These are 1 Division, Kaduna, covering Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states; 2 Division, Ibadan (Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states); 3 Division, Jos (Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states); 5 Division, Makurdi (Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states); 6 Division, Port Harcourt (Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states); and 7 Division, Maiduguri (Borno and Yobe states).
The rest are 8 Division, Sokoto (Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states); 9 Division, Ilorin (Kwara and Niger states); 10 Division, Jalingo (Taraba and Adamawa states); 81 Division, Lagos (Lagos and Ogun states); 82 Division, Enugu (Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states); and 83 Division, Benin City (Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states).
The new Divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City will improve command and control and decentralise operational decision-making, as well as strengthen border security, protect critical national infrastructure, improve counter-insurgency operations and ensure quicker responses to emerging security threats nationwide.
Implementation will be executed in two phases, with the first phase covering the establishment of the 5, 9 and 10 Divisions, while reorganisation of existing formations will be completed by September this year.
The second phase, involving the establishment of the 83 Division and additional reorganisation, is scheduled for completion by December this year.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to continue investing in the Armed Forces to ensure they remain well-equipped, motivated and capable of safeguarding the nation and its citizens.
In his reaction, Olukolade described the decision as timely and strategic, saying it reflected government’s commitment to strengthening military capacity against Nigeria’s complex and multifaceted security threats.
He said: “This development is desirable and most welcome because it offers enormous advantages in enhancing the military’s capacity to tackle Nigeria’s hydra-headed security challenges.”
The former military spokesman stated that the new force structure would increase operational coverage through additional Divisions, Brigades, Battalions and troops, enabling the Army to sustain stronger presence across vulnerable areas, as well as bring additional equipment, combat platforms and operational vehicles, thereby increasing the Army’s firepower, mobility and overall operational reach.
He noted that the Nigerian Army had remained operationally overstretched for years because of multiple internal security operations across different theatres of operation nationwide; hence the new Divisions would reduce prolonged deployments by enabling more frequent troop rotations, adequate rest periods and retraining to improve morale and combat effectiveness.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Olukolade said additional formations would also ensure faster military response to attacks, especially across ungoverned spaces and remote communities facing persistent security threats.
He said with the expansion, permanent Forward Operating Bases could now be established in Sambisa Forest, Lake Chad Basin, Northwest Forests and Oke-Ogun corridor, instead of distant deployments, while Divisional headquarters would strengthen civil-military relations by bringing military leadership closer to local communities affected by insecurity across the country.
He said the arrangement would improve intelligence gathering, early warning systems and operational coordination among the military, Police, NSCDC and other security agencies.
