07/26/2026
Can Four New Army Divisions Improve Security? Group Captain Sadiq Garba rtd Explains
Nigeria's plan to establish four additional Army divisions has sparked fresh debate among defence and security experts, with retired Group Captain Sadiq Shehu cautioning that increasing the number of divisions alone may not automatically translate into a stronger or more effective military.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently announced plans to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to twelve divisions as part of efforts to strengthen national security amid persistent threats of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and oil theft.
While describing the proposed expansion as potentially beneficial, Shehu argued that the success of such a move would depend on adequate funding, recruitment, equipment and logistics rather than the creation of additional headquarters alone.
In an extensive defence analysis, the retired officer explained that the effectiveness of any military depends on three key elements: force structure, force strength, and force readiness.
According to him, force structure refers to the organizational framework of the military, including divisions, brigades, battalions and supporting formations. Although creating new divisions increases the Army's administrative and command structure, he noted that it does not automatically create new fighting formations.
Drawing an analogy, Shehu likened the establishment of new divisions to constructing new hospitals without providing doctors, nurses, equipment or medicines, stressing that such facilities would exist on paper but deliver little practical service.
He further explained that force strength concerns the actual number of personnel and equipment available to military formations, compared with what is authorized under the military's Table of Organisation and Equipment (TOE).
The retired officer observed that many formations may have lower effective operational strength than their authorized establishment due to personnel shortages, training commitments, medical absences and equipment that is either unavailable or unserviceable.
Beyond personnel and equipment, Shehu identified force readiness as the most critical factor, describing it as a formation's ability to deploy rapidly, fight effectively and sustain operations through adequate logistics, maintenance, communications, intelligence, medical support and command systems.
He warned that creating four additional divisions without proportionately increasing trained personnel, weapons, vehicles, logistics infrastructure and maintenance capabilities could merely redistribute existing shortages across more headquarters.
The defence analyst also emphasized the importance of troop rotation, noting that prolonged deployments without adequate rest, retraining and equipment repairs could reduce combat effectiveness and weaken operational readiness.
Despite his reservations, Shehu maintained that expanding the Nigerian Army is not inherently a bad idea, provided it is supported by comprehensive planning, sustainable funding and significant investment in manpower, equipment, infrastructure and logistics.
He recommended that government first conduct a comprehensive defence audit to determine the current personnel strength, equipment holdings, readiness levels, logistics requirements and financial implications before implementing the proposed expansion.
According to him, such an assessment would help determine whether Nigeria should first consolidate and fully equip its existing eight divisions or proceed with establishing four new ones.
Shehu concluded that while Nigeria's security challenges may justify a larger Army, the country's priority should be creating additional operational capability rather than simply increasing the number of military formations.
He also highlighted concerns over defence funding, citing reports that only a fraction of the Nigerian Army's approved equipment budget was reportedly released, raising questions about how additional divisions would be adequately manned, equipped and sustained.
The retired officer stressed that in military operations, what ultimately matters is not the number of formations announced, but how many are fully prepared, properly equipped and capable of accomplishing their assigned missions.
