The Presidency has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to expand Nigerian Army divisions is motivated by fears of a military coup or political considerations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the expansion was driven by the changing nature of Nigeria’s security challenges and the need to modernise a military structure that has remained largely unchanged for decades.
Ajayi, who spoke during an interview with Journalists Monitored by The News Chronicle on Saturday, explained that the Tinubu administration inherited a security architecture designed several decades ago, which he said had become inadequate to address emerging threats across the country.
According to him, the expansion of Army formations is part of President Tinubu’s campaign commitment to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture by increasing troop strength, expanding military formations and investing in modern equipment and technology.
He said the creation of additional divisions would also improve response times by positioning troops and commanders closer to areas experiencing security challenges.
“It cannot be the result of any coup attempt. Those making such claims are Nigerians who also desire improved security. The country’s security challenges have continued to evolve, and the President has consistently maintained that our security architecture must evolve to respond accordingly,” Ajayi said.
The presidential aide disclosed that the Armed Forces had recruited about 50,000 personnel across the three services over the past three years, while an additional 28,000 personnel are expected to be recruited.
He said the recruitment drive was in line with Tinubu’s campaign promise to increase the number of troops on the ground while simultaneously improving military hardware, technology and operational capacity.
Ajayi explained that the restructuring was designed to enhance operational efficiency and ensure that troops could respond more quickly to security incidents.
“Instead of relying on a division located several states away to respond to an emergency, new formations will place commanders and troops much closer to flashpoints,” he said.
He cited the need for quicker responses in areas such as Sokoto, Zamfara and Yobe, noting that strategically located military formations would reduce the time required to coordinate responses to security threats.
Ajayi also revealed that the Federal Government had established three additional military training depots in Kogi, Ebonyi and Osogbo to complement the existing Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria.
According to him, each of the new facilities has the capacity to train between 5,000 and 6,000 recruits simultaneously, thereby significantly increasing the military’s training capacity.
He said the expansion had become necessary because Nigeria’s population had grown substantially while much of the country’s military infrastructure was established in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
“Our population has grown substantially, but much of the military infrastructure we are relying on today dates back to the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Those facilities are no longer sufficient for the country’s current security realities,” he said.
The presidential aide maintained that the government’s decision to increase troop strength, establish new formations and invest in modern military equipment was aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s ability to respond effectively to evolving security threats.
He stressed that the measures were commitments made by President Tinubu to Nigerians and were being implemented as part of efforts to improve national security.
