Nigerian Army Names GOCs for Newly Created Divisions

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) for the newly established Nigerian Army divisions following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of the expansion of the Army from eight to 12 divisions.

The development forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s operational capacity, improve command and control, and enhance its response to the country’s evolving security challenges.

In a statement posted on the Nigerian Army’s official X handle on Wednesday, the Army said the newly established divisions would commence operations upon attaining Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while efforts are underway to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC).

As part of the restructuring, the Army also announced a reorganisation of divisional areas of responsibility.

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Under the new arrangement, 1 Division Kaduna will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while 2 Division Ibadan will cover Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states. 3 Division Jos will be responsible for Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states.

The newly established 5 Division Makurdi will cover Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states, while 6 Division Port Harcourt will oversee Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. 7 Division Maiduguri will retain responsibility for Borno and Yobe, while 8 Division Sokoto will continue to cover Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

The Army also announced that the newly created 9 Division Ilorin will be responsible for Kwara and Niger states, while 10 Division Jalingo will oversee Taraba and Adamawa states.

Similarly, 81 Division Lagos will continue to cover Lagos and Ogun states, 82 Division Enugu will oversee Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states, while the newly approved 83 Division Benin City will be responsible for Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states when it becomes operational later this year.

To lead the new formations, the COAS approved the appointment of Major General Yakubu Yahaya as General Officer Commanding (GOC) 9 Division Ilorin and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.

Major General Chinedu Nnebeife was appointed GOC 10 Division Jalingo, while Major General Moses Gara was named GOC 5 Division Makurdi and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.

President Tinubu approved the creation of the additional divisions on July 23, 2026, alongside the recruitment of 28,000 additional military personnel, acquisition of critical military equipment, improved troop welfare and continued investment in force modernisation.

According to the Presidency, implementation of the new force structure will be carried out in two phases. The first phase, covering the establishment of the 5, 9 and 10 Divisions and the reorganisation of existing formations, is expected to be completed by September 2026, while the second phase, including the activation of the 83 Division Benin City, is scheduled for completion by December 2026.