Nigeria Expands Army: 28,000 New Warriors, 4 Divisions Launched

Sun Sep 06 2026 05:13:59 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

President Bola Tinubu approves 28,000 new soldiers and 4 new army divisions as Nigeria tackles rising violence from insurgents and kidnappers.

Bola Tinubu has greenlit the largest military expansion in Nigeria’s recent past, adding 28,000 soldiers and four new divisions to bring the army to 12 brigades. The move comes after a surge of attacks by militant Islamists, separatists and armed gangs that have killed civilians and abducted students. New divisions will boost coordination, intelligence sharing and response speeds, while additional headquarters will cover hotspots in the north‑east and central regions. Despite a hefty defence budget and US‑Nigeria joint operations, the challenge of recruiting young Nigerians remains high. The government’s bold push aims to curb violence before the next major terror push.

Nigeria Pops the Army

President Bola Tinubu has approved the biggest army expansion since the country’s formation, recruiting 28,000 new soldiers and creating four new divisions that will boost Nigeria’s total army strength to 12.

The move follows a sharp rise in attacks by Islamist militants, separatists and armed gang‑bandid groups, which have killed civilians and seized students from schools. The government says the new units will improve coordination, intelligence sharing and quick response times, especially in the north‑east and central regions that have seen the most violence.

Tinubu has also added a record 5.41tn naira ($4bn) to the defence budget and announced the recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers. While the U.S. and Nigerian forces have carried out joint operations against Boko Haram, recruiting young Nigerians to join the ranks remains a key challenge.

For more on the fighting fight, read about the US‑Nigeria joint strike on Lakrahwa militants.