Retired military leaders have advised President Bola Tinubu to prioritize the full funding and manning of the eight current Nigerian Army divisions before moving forward with the plan to increase the force to twelve. While acknowledging that expanding into Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo, and Benin City is a positive initiative, experts have raised alarms regarding equipment shortages, unrealistic timelines, and personnel gaps.
Former Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor noted that the current units must first reach operational standards before the military can effectively absorb additional formations. Retired Group Captain Sadiq Shehu warned that the military remains overstretched. He highlighted the Table of Organisation and Equipment (TOE) standards, noting that units currently operate below capacity. According to Shehu, attempting to fill new divisions by drawing personnel from existing ones will only dilute the strength of the force. He further questioned the viability of the proposed timeline, arguing that standing up a functional division within a few months is nearly impossible.
Shehu also pointed to budget shortfalls, noting that the Army received a small fraction of its expected equipment funding this year. He emphasized that financial incentives alone cannot solve operational deficiencies if the necessary hardware and specialized support are absent.
Conversely, retired Major General Anthony Atolagbe described the expansion as an essential and courageous reorganization of the military. He argued that the new divisions are critical for addressing territorial security gaps, particularly in the central belt. Atolagbe noted that the presence of existing barracks in cities like Ilorin would help facilitate the transition. He expressed confidence that training and reassignment protocols would be managed through a progressive approach to meet the new operational requirements.
