Irabor Backs Tinubu’s Army Expansion Plan

Irabor described the expansion as a positive development but stressed that creating new formations alone would not address the military's operational challenges.

Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), has endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, describing the move as a necessary step toward strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.

Speaking during an interview on Wednesday, Irabor said the expansion would, however, require significant investment in manpower, equipment, logistics and infrastructure to achieve its intended objectives.

His comments followed the Nigerian Army’s announcement of four new General Officers Commanding after President Tinubu approved the establishment of four additional divisions to enhance the military’s operational capacity.

The new formations are the 5 Division, Makurdi; 9 Division, Ilorin; 10 Division, Jalingo; and 83 Division, Benin City. The Army said the 83 Division would become operational later this year. It also announced the activation of three new brigades to improve security operations across the country.

Irabor described the expansion as a positive development but stressed that creating new formations alone would not address the military's operational challenges.

“Expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight divisions to 12 divisions is the right step in the right direction,” he said.

He noted that President Tinubu appeared fully aware of the military’s operational deficiencies and expressed confidence that similar reforms would eventually extend to the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force.

“It’s quite heartwarming to know that the Commander-in-Chief himself is well abreast of the shortcomings of the military. If he’s starting with the Army, perhaps that’s a good step. I believe that the Navy and the Air Force will be part of the efforts,” Irabor said.

The retired defence chief cautioned that expanding the Army would have far-reaching implications, including the need to strengthen existing divisions before establishing new ones.

“Increasing from eight divisions to 12 divisions has a lot of implications. First, the existing eight divisions must be properly brought up to scale in terms of personnel, equipment, logistics and so on. I want to believe that the President is well aware of the implications of all that,” he said.

Irabor also welcomed the Federal Government’s plan to recruit 28,000 additional soldiers, describing it as a positive start, while noting that the expansion would require adequate accommodation and other support facilities for troops.

“I also commend the fact that the President has indicated that 28,000 soldiers will be recruited, which is barely a little over a division in terms of strength. But, of course, it’s good to start from somewhere, meaning that a lot has to go into accommodation for the troops,” he added.

He maintained that the expansion of the Army should form part of a broader security reform agenda, urging a reassessment of the military’s role in internal security.

“The creation of new military divisions is the first step in a very long road toward ensuring we have a balanced security architecture in the country. The time has come for the military to reevaluate its role in internal security,” Irabor said.