…four new Divisions activated in major restructuring
By Sanni Abdullahi
The Nigerian Army has entered a new phase of expansion with the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, approving the appointment of General Officers Commanding to four newly established Divisions across the country.
The appointments follow the approval granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for the creation of four additional Army Divisions. The move is described by Army Headquarters as a landmark step in the ongoing drive to strengthen the service’s force structure, widen its operational reach, and sharpen command and control in response to Nigeria’s evolving security landscape.
According to a statement from Army Headquarters, the new formations will begin operations immediately upon attaining Initial Operational Capability, IOC, while deliberate efforts are underway to progressively attain Full Operational Capability, FOC. Officials say the phased activation is designed to ensure operational continuity and enable rapid force projection across all regions.
New Map Of Army Divisional Responsibilities
As part of the comprehensive reorganisation, the Army has also realigned the Areas of Responsibility of existing and new Divisions.
Under the revised structure, 1 Division Kaduna will now be responsible for Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States.
2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States, while
3 Division Jos will oversee Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe States.
The four newly established Divisions and their mandates are:
– 5 Division, Headquarters Makurdi – Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi States
– 6 Division, Headquarters Port Harcourt – Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States
– 9 Division, Headquarters Ilorin – Kwara and Niger States
– 10 Division, Headquarters Jalingo – border areas of Taraba and Adamawa States
Other formations retain key responsibilities.
7 Division Maiduguri will continue to cover Borno and Yobe States.
8 Division Sokoto retains Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States.
81 Division Lagos will oversee Lagos and Ogun States, while
82 Division Enugu retains Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States.
The Army also announced 83 Division, with Headquarters in Benin City, which will cover Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States when it is activated later in the year.
The creation of 6 Division in Port Harcourt and 83 Division in Benin City is expected to bring Army command structures closer to the Niger Delta, a region that has continued to face complex security challenges including pipeline vandalism, sea robbery and communal conflicts.
Seasoned Officers Named To Lead New Formations
To provide leadership for the new commands, the COAS approved the redeployment of senior officers with recent operational experience.
Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force, North Central, Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, OPSS, to Headquarters 9 Division, Ilorin. He will serve dually as General Officer Commanding 9 Division and Commander, Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.
Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife moves from Headquarters 2 Division / Sector 3 Joint Task Force, North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to Headquarters 10 Division, Jalingo, as General Officer Commanding.
Major General Moses Gara has been redeployed from Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE, OPWS, to Headquarters 5 Division, Makurdi. He assumes the dual role of General Officer Commanding 5 Division and Commander, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
Army sources said the choice of commanders reflects a deliberate effort to place officers with direct counter-insurgency and internal security experience at the helm of the new divisions, particularly in the North Central and North East where farmers-herders clashes and insurgent activity persist.
Why The Expansion Matters
Military analysts note that increasing the number of Divisions from the previous structure to 13 active and one pending formation allows the Army to decentralise decision-making and reduce response time to emerging threats.
With the IOC-to-FOC approach, the service aims to avoid overstretching logistics while gradually building manpower, equipment and infrastructure at each new headquarters. The model was previously used during the establishment of 8 Division in Sokoto.
The restructuring also signals the Tinubu administration’s focus on territorial defence and internal security coordination ahead of 2027, with greater emphasis on state-level collaboration and joint operations with other security agencies.
The Army said further announcements on brigade commands, support units and logistics arrangements for the new Divisions will follow as they progress toward FOC.
For residents in the South-South, the take-off of 6 Division in Port Harcourt means operational command for Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River will now be domiciled in the region, a development expected to improve coordination with the Navy, Air Force and other security stakeholders in the Gulf of Guinea.
