Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), has thrown his weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s approval to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, describing the move as a significant step towards improving the nation’s security framework.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, Irabor said the creation of four additional divisions demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening the Armed Forces, but stressed that the initiative would only succeed if matched with adequate funding, personnel and logistics.
His comments followed the Nigerian Army’s announcement of four new General Officers Commanding after the President approved the establishment of four new divisions.
The new formations are the 5 Division in Makurdi, 9 Division in Ilorin, 10 Division in Jalingo and the 83 Division in Benin City, with the Benin-based division expected to commence operations later this year.
The Army also activated three new brigades to enhance operational effectiveness across different parts of the country.
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Irabor described the expansion as a positive development, noting that it marked the beginning of broader reforms needed to build a more balanced and effective national security structure.
According to him, the President appears to understand the military’s operational challenges, expressing hope that similar attention would soon be extended to the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force.
He, however, cautioned that increasing the number of divisions would place greater demands on the military, requiring substantial investments to ensure both the existing and newly created formations are adequately staffed, equipped and supported.
The retired Army general also welcomed Tinubu’s plan to recruit 28,000 additional soldiers, saying the exercise was a good starting point, although more personnel would eventually be required to meet the demands of the expanded force.
He noted that beyond recruitment, government would also need to provide accommodation, equipment and other welfare facilities to sustain the additional troops.
Irabor further argued that the expansion should be accompanied by a reassessment of the military’s involvement in internal security operations, describing the establishment of new divisions as only the first phase of a long-term strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s overall security architecture.