Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) to the newly established Nigerian Army Divisions, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's approval for the expansion of the force from eight to twelve divisions. The landmark restructuring, which forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Nigerian Army's force structure and expand its operational footprint, was announced in a statement on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The new divisions will immediately commence operations upon attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), with deliberate measures being implemented to progressively achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) in a phased approach designed to ensure seamless operationalisation and rapid force projection across the country.
Under the comprehensive reorganisation, the Nigerian Army has redrawn its Divisional Areas of Responsibility to reflect the new structure. The 1 Division in Kaduna will now be responsible for security in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states, while the 2 Division in Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo states. The 3 Division in Jos will oversee Plateau, Bauchi, and Gombe states. The newly established 5 Division, with headquarters in Makurdi, will assume responsibility for Benue, Nasarawa, and Kogi states, while the 6 Division in Port Harcourt will cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states. The 7 Division in Maiduguri will continue to oversee Borno and Yobe states, and the 8 Division in Sokoto will retain responsibility for Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states.
The newly established 9 Division, headquartered in Ilorin, will cover Kwara and Niger states, while the 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, will be responsible for security in the border areas of Taraba and Adamawa states. The 81 Division in Lagos will continue to oversee Lagos and Ogun states, while the 82 Division in Enugu will retain responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, and Imo states. The newly established 83 Division, with headquarters in Benin City, will cover Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa states when activated later in the year.
To provide effective leadership for the new formations, the Chief of Army Staff has approved the appointment of seasoned senior officers as General Officers Commanding. Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, as the General Officer Commanding and Commander, Operation SAVANNA SHIELD. Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife has been redeployed from Headquarters 2 Division/Sector 3 Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division, Jalingo, as the General Officer Commanding. Similarly, Major General Moses Gara has been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he assumes the dual appointment of General Officer Commanding and Commander, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
In the same vein, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda has been redeployed from the Army Headquarters Directorate of Inspection and Compliance to Headquarters 2 Division, Ibadan, as the General Officer Commanding. In order to strengthen the newly established divisions, three new brigades were equally activated. The restructuring follows President Tinubu's approval of the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, as announced in a State House statement issued on July 23, 2026. The Presidency said the expansion is intended to improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure, and ensure faster military response to emerging threats nationwide.
Implementation of the new force structure will be carried out in two phases. The first phase, covering the establishment of the 5, 9, and 10 Divisions and the reorganisation of existing formations, is expected to be completed by September 2026. The second phase, involving the establishment of the 83 Division and further restructuring, is scheduled for completion by December 2026. The establishment of the new divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo, and Benin City is expected to significantly improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure, improve counter-insurgency and internal security operations, and ensure faster military response to emerging threats nationwide.
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