Tinubu Approves Major Expansion of Nigerian Army to 12 Divisions and 28,000 New Troops

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed off on the largest restructuring of Nigeria’s armed forces in recent years. The plan raises the number of army divisions from eight to twelve and adds 28,000 new soldiers. New division headquarters will be created in Ilorin, Jalingo, Benin City and other strategic locations, with three additional army headquarters slated for the north‑east and central zones, where Islamist insurgency, banditry and farmer‑herder clashes are most intense. The expansion is presented as a response to a surge in attacks, including recent killings of villagers in Zamfara and the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Borno. To fund the changes, the government has allocated a record defence budget of 5.41 trillion naira (about US $4 billion) and pledged further acquisition of platforms, equipment and welfare improvements for troops. Officials say the new structure will improve command and control, border security, intelligence sharing and rapid response to emerging threats across the country.