Fix Existing Military Weaknesses Before Creating New Army Divisions — Sadeeq Shehu
Former spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain Sadeeq Shehu (Rtd), has urged the Federal Government to address the operational challenges facing the Nigerian military before implementing plans to establish four additional divisions of the Nigerian Army.
President Bola Tinubu recently approved the creation of four new Army divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City, increasing the total number of divisions from eight to 12. The move is expected to support the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, strengthen military presence in vulnerable areas and enhance operational coordination against insecurity.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Monday, Shehu said the government should first evaluate the readiness of the existing eight divisions and resolve their personnel and equipment deficiencies before expanding the Army’s command structure.
According to him, concerns over inadequate manpower, insufficient equipment and prolonged deployments of troops have been widely acknowledged, making it necessary to strengthen existing formations before creating new ones.
“We should first fix the existing gaps that have already been identified. Only after that should we determine whether the country truly needs four, six or even 20 additional divisions,” he said.
The retired officer noted that while Nigeria’s size, population and security challenges justify a larger military, expansion should be based on operational needs rather than administrative or political considerations.
He stressed that every military formation must have the required balance of personnel and equipment to perform effectively, warning that under-resourced divisions would struggle to deliver expected results.
Shehu also cautioned against allowing political interests to determine where new military formations are located, saying such decisions should be guided strictly by strategic and operational requirements rather than regional considerations.
