Tinubu approves Nigerian Army expansion to 12 divisions, recruitment of 28,000

President Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel.

Tinubu Approves 12 Divisions for Nigerian Army

President Bola Tinubu has approved a major overhaul of the Nigerian Army’s structure, expanding it from eight to 12 divisions and greenlighting 28,000 new recruits, according to Channels Television.

New divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City, alongside existing ones in Kaduna, Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Lagos and Enugu. The move aims to decentralise command, strengthen border security and speed up military response nationwide.

Implementation runs in two phases — the first, covering three new divisions, completes by September 2026; the second, including the Benin City division, wraps by December 2026.