The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding for four newly established Nigerian Army Divisions. The appointments follow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval for the creation of the additional divisions, as part of efforts to expand the Army’s operational footprint, improve command and control, and enhance response to Nigeria’s evolving security threats. The new divisions will commence operations on attaining Initial Operational Capability, with plans to progressively reach Full Operational Capability.
The restructure also realigned Divisional Areas of Responsibility nationwide. 1 Division Kaduna will now cover Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa; 2 Division Ibadan will oversee Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo; and 3 Division Jos will handle Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe. The newly created formations include 5 Division Makurdi for Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi; 9 Division Ilorin for Kwara and Niger; 10 Division Jalingo for border areas of Taraba and Adamawa; and 83 Division Benin City for Edo, Delta and Bayelsa, to be activated later in the year. Other divisions retain their mandates: 6 Division Port Harcourt, 7 Division Maiduguri, 8 Division Sokoto, 81 Division Lagos, and 82 Division Enugu.
To provide leadership, the COAS redeployed senior officers including Major General Yakubu Yahaya to 9 Division Ilorin, Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife to 10 Division Jalingo, and Major General Moses Gara to 5 Division Makurdi. Major General Auwalu Mahmuda was posted to 2 Division Ibadan. Three new brigades were also activated with new commanders. Congratulating the appointees, Lt. Gen. Shaibu charged them to provide visionary leadership and sustain professionalism. He thanked President Tinubu for the support, stating that the expansion will strengthen border security, speed up troop deployment, and boost the Army’s capacity to protect national sovereignty and citizens.
