Nigeria's Tinubu approves army expansion to 12 divisions with 28,000 new recruits

igerian President Bola Tinubu has approved an expansion of the ​army to 12 divisions from eight ‌and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, the presidency said on Friday, as the government ​seeks to bolster its response to ​persistent security threats.

Tinubu approved four new ⁠army divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo ​and Benin City, spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said.

​The government also approved an increase in investment in equipment, operational readiness and troop welfare to ​modernise the armed forces.

The expanded ​12-division structure will retain headquarters in eight cities, with ‌the ⁠new formations covering parts of central, northeastern and southern Nigeria.

The expansion will be implemented in two phases, with the ​5th, 9th ​and 10th ⁠divisions operational by September and the 83rd Division in Benin ​City by December.

Nigeria is grappling with ​a ⁠17-year-old Islamist insurgency in the northeast, banditry and kidnappings in the northwest, communal ⁠violence ​in the central region and ​separatist agitation in the southeast.

-Reuters