President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, with four new division headquarters to be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City before the end of 2026.
The approval, announced on Thursday by the Presidency, is aimed at bringing military command closer to security hotspots, improving response time, strengthening border protection and boosting internal security operations as Nigeria continues to battle different security threats.
The decision forms part of the Federal Government‘s plan to strengthen the Armed Forces through more personnel, better equipment and improved operational capacity.
It also follows the approval to recruit 28,000 additional soldiers as the Army prepares to operate under a larger command structure.
Under the plan, the Nigerian Army will continue to operate its existing divisions while creating four more headquarters to spread command responsibilities more evenly across the country.
The new divisions will be located in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City. Makurdi Division will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
Ilorin Division will cover Kwara and Niger states. Jalingo Division will supervise Taraba and Adamawa states, while Benin City Division will take charge of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.
The Presidency said the additional divisions will improve command and control by placing military leadership closer to operational areas. It also said the arrangement will help decentralise decision-making, strengthen the protection of critical national infrastructure and improve operations against insurgency and other internal security threats.
The government also believes the new structure will allow troops to respond more quickly whenever security incidents occur.
Implementation of the new Army structure will begin immediately and will take place in two stages.
The first stage includes the establishment of the divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin and Jalingo, alongside the reorganisation of existing formations. This phase is scheduled for completion by September 2026.
The second stage will focus on setting up the Benin City division and completing the remaining organisational changes before December 2026.
After the expansion, the Army’s command structure will include divisions headquartered in Kaduna, Ibadan, Jos, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Ilorin, Jalingo, Lagos, Enugu and Benin City.
The Presidency said the enlarged structure builds on other military support approved by the Tinubu administration. These include the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, acquisition of military platforms and equipment, improvement in troop welfare and continued investment in operational readiness and force modernisation.
President Tinubu praised the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, as well as officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army for their service to the country.
He also restated his commitment to providing the Armed Forces with the resources needed to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The approval demonstrates one of the largest changes to the Army’s command structure in recent years.