Fix military gaps before creating new divisions, ex-Air Force spokesman tells FG

Nigeria's Federal Government has approved the creation of four new army divisions, expanding the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions. The new formations will be based in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo, and Benin City. This expansion aims to bolster the command structure for an ongoing recruitment of 28,000 personnel, enhance military presence in vulnerable areas, and improve coordination against security threats.

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We should be fixing the existing gaps which have been discussed in the Senate, in all the discussions, we should fix them first. Then we should know whether we need four divisions, whether we need six divisions, or even 20 divisions, but fix the existing gap.

However, Group Captain Sadeeq Shehu, a retired Nigerian Air Force spokesman, urged the government to prioritize addressing existing deficiencies within the military before embarking on expansion. He argued that the focus should be on fixing current gaps in personnel and equipment across existing formations.

Shehu emphasized the importance of assessing the operational readiness of the current eight divisions before considering the addition of new ones. He noted public concerns about overstretched troops and equipment shortages, suggesting that these issues need evaluation. "Military science has shown, unless you have this combination of organization, that’s number of personnel, and also equipment that is balanced, unless you have, you know, an appreciable number, your battalion or your brigade or your division is not going to function properly," he stated.

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I think the question should be, if we have eight divisions, we need to know what is their current status before we should start thinking of adding new divisions.

He cautioned against allowing political considerations to influence decisions regarding military formations. Shehu believes that Nigeria's security challenges, territorial size, population, and regional responsibilities necessitate a larger military, but stressed that the immediate priority should be ensuring the effectiveness of the existing structure.

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Military science has shown, unless you have this combination of organization, that’s number of personnel, and also equipment that is balanced, unless you have, you know, an appreciable number, your battalion or your brigade or your division is not going to function properly.