In a major structural overhaul of the country’s defense architecture, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to twelve divisions, alongside the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel.
The presidential approval, announced on Thursday by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, aims to decentralize command and control, shorten response times to security threats, and bolster counter-insurgency and border protection capabilities across the country.
Key Operational Changes & The 4 New Divisions
The expansion introduces four brand-new operational divisions—located in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo, and Benin City—to reduce the geographic burden on existing regional commands:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ THE FOUR NEW ARMY DIVISIONS │
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│ • 5 Division (HQ: Makurdi) : Benue, Nasarawa, and Kogi States. │
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│ • 9 Division (HQ: Ilorin) : Kwara and Niger States. │
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│ • 10 Division (HQ: Jalingo) : Taraba and Adamawa States. │
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│ • 83 Division (HQ: Benin City): Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa States. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
(Sources: Presidency Directives & Defense Headquarters Briefings)
Nationwide Deployment Matrix
Under the newly restructured framework, the 12 divisions are distributed strategically across the geopolitical zones:
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1st Division (HQ: Kaduna): Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa.
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2nd Division (HQ: Ibadan): Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo.
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3rd Division (HQ: Jos): Plateau, Bauchi, and Gombe.
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6th Division (HQ: Port Harcourt): Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
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7th Division (HQ: Maiduguri): Borno and Yobe.
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8th Division (HQ: Sokoto): Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara.
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81st Division (HQ: Lagos): Lagos and Ogun.
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82nd Division (HQ: Enugu): Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, and Imo.
Two-Phase Implementation Plan
The Defense Headquarters will execute the structural transition in two distinct phases before the end of the year:
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Phase I (Target: September 2026): Full establishment of the 5, 9, and 10 Divisions alongside the initial reorganization of existing territorial formations.
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Phase II (Target: December 2026): Operational rollout of the 83 Division in Benin City and the final integration of the 28,000 newly recruited troops into active service units.
“This landmark expansion builds on sustained investments in our Armed Forces… It will decentralize decision-making, enhance border security, protect critical national infrastructure, and ensure faster military responses to emerging security challenges.” — Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President
The expansion coincides with recent legislative momentum in the House of Representatives regarding state police, reflecting a broad policy drive by the administration to overhaul both federal and sub-national security apparatuses.
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
