The chief of army staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOC) for the newly established Nigerian Army divisions.
This followed the approval by President Bola Tinubu for the establishment of four additional Divisions.
The army said that the “landmark development” forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s force structure, expand its operational footprint, enhance command and control as well as improve the Service’s capacity to effectively respond to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
It noted that the newly established divisions would immediately commence operations in the respective locations, on attainment of Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while deliberate measures are being implemented to progressively attain Full Operational Capability (FOC).
The phased approach, the army said, would ensure seamless operationalisation, operational continuity and rapid force projection across the country.
“Consequently, the Nigerian Army has undertaken a comprehensive reorganisation of its Divisional Areas of Responsibility. Under the new structure, 1 Division Kaduna will be responsible for security in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States, while 2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States,” a press release posted on the Nigerian Army’s X handle on Wednesday partly read.
“The 3 Division 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 6 Division Port Harcourt will cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
“The 7 Division Maiduguri will be responsible for Borno and Yobe states while 8 Division Sokoto will retain responsibility for Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States.”
Furthermore, the army stated that the newly established 9 Division, headquartered in Ilorin, will cover Kwara and Niger States, while the newly established 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, will be responsible for security in the border areas of Taraba and Adamawa States.
“The 81 Division Lagos will continue to oversee Lagos and Ogun States, while 82 Division 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,” it added.
To provide effective leadership for the new formations, the COAS, according to the state, has approved the appointment of seasoned senior officers as General Officers Commanding.
Those appointed include Major General Yakubu Yahaya, redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD (OPSS), to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin, as the General Officer Commanding and Commander, Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.
Major General Chinedu 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 (OPWS) to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi, where he assumes the dual appointment of General Officer Commanding and Commander, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
President Tinubu had on July 23, 2026, approved the expansion of the army’s structure from eight to 12 divisions, saying that the expansion builds on the administration’s sustained investments in the Armed Forces
He also approved the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improvements in troop welfare, and ongoing support for operational readiness and force modernisation.
The presidency explained that the approval underscores the President’s unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges effectively and to strengthen national defence capabilities further.
The new 12 divisions are 1 Division Headquarters – Kaduna (Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States); 2 Division Headquarters – Ibadan (Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States); 3 Division Headquarters – Jos (Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe States); 5 Division Headquarters – Makurdi (Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi States); 6 Division Headquarters – Port Harcourt (Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States); and 7 Division Headquarters – Maiduguri (Borno and Yobe States).
Others are 8 Division Headquarters – Sokoto (Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States); 9 Division Headquarters – Ilorin (Kwara and Niger States); 10 Division Headquarters – Jalingo (Taraba and Adamawa States); 81 Division Headquarters – Lagos (Lagos and Ogun States); 82 Division Headquarters – Enugu (Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States); and 83 Division Headquarters – Benin City (Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States).
The presidency further explained that the implementation of the new force structure would be done in two phases, with the first phase covering the establishment of the 5, 9, and 10 Divisions and the reorganisation of existing formations, which will be completed by September 2026.
The second phase involves the establishment of the 83 Division and further reorganisation and is expected to be completed by December 2026.
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