President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to twelve divisions alongside the recruitment of 28,000 new personnel in one of the boldest moves to combat decades of insecurity ravaging the country.
The sweeping changes aim to decentralise the nation’s security architecture and boost the military’s operational effectiveness.
Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on Information and Strategy, had announced in a statement that the president’s approval underscores his unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges effectively and to strengthen national defence capabilities further.
Security and public sector experts who spoke to BusinessDay believe that while the expansion is expected to build on the administration’s sustained investments in the Armed Forces, previous cases of poor funding, corruption and absence of strong welfare packages may serve as obstacles to desired results.
Auwal Ibrahim Rafsajani, executive director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy and Public Policy expert, however, called on the federal government to strengthen issues around the welfare of security operatives first.
