Equip, Don’t Just Expand: Ex-Defence Chief Irabor Calls for Heavy Investment in Military Tech
Speaking on Wednesday on Arise News monitored by Persecondnews, Irabor responded to President Bola Tinubu’s recent approval to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and recruit 28,000 additional personnel.
While describing the planned expansion as a commendable step, the retired general stressed that sustained financial and technological backing will be crucial for its long-term success.
“Expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight divisions to 12 divisions is the right step in the right direction. However, there are a good number of things that need to be done,” the retired Army general said.
According to him, the planned expansion would require significant investment in personnel, accommodation, equipment and logistics to make it effective.
“Increasing from eight divisions to 12 divisions has a lot of implications. The existing eight divisions must be properly brought up in terms of personnel, equipment, logistics and so on.”
Irabor said the Army would require continuous recruitment and investment to attain its optimal operational capacity.
“The 28,000 soldiers to be recruited is barely a little over a division in terms of strength, but of course it is good to start from somewhere,” he said.
He also called for the Nigeria Police Force to gradually resume its constitutional responsibility for internal security, saying the military’s involvement had largely been to fill existing gaps.
“The police remain the primary organ for internal security. What the military has been doing over the years is more or less supplementary to what the police are expected to do.”
The former defence chief stressed that defeating insecurity would also require greater investment in technology, intelligence and locally produced military equipment.
“What they are doing currently is in the right direction, but we would love to have military equipment manufactured in-house.”
Irabor added that security reforms should be matched with broader national development, insisting that both were mutually dependent.
“Without security there cannot be development, and without development there cannot be security,” he added.
Persecondnews recalls that on Thursday, July 23, 2026, the Presidency had announced President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel to strengthen the country’s security architecture and enhance the Army’s operational effectiveness.