President Bola Tinubu approves plans to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to twelve divisions and to recruit additional personnel to strengthen national security, according to reports from multiple Nigerian outlets. The decision is attributed to a statement by Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, and is reported as coming in response to ongoing insecurity.
All sources say the expansion increases the army’s divisional structure to 12 divisions. Legit.ng and others also report that the president approves a recruitment intake totaling 28,000 personnel. Daily Post Nigeria reports that 20,000 additional personnel are part of the approved recruitment, while other accounts describe the overall figure as 28,000.
Vanguard adds further implementation detail, saying the first phase includes the establishment of the 5th, 9th, and 10th Divisions, along with the reorganisation of existing formations, with the phase expected to be completed by September 2026.
The reports collectively present the approval, the divisional target, the recruitment plan, and a timeline for the initial rollout, without detailing operational deployments.
