The Nigerian Army (NA) is one of the largest components of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Nigerian Army is responsible for land warfare operations. The army is also governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). The army is responsible for the security of the nation at large and has borne the brunt of the Boko Haram insurgency, Nigeria’s most recent security challenge. The Nigerian army has components such as:
A division: This is a combined-arms organization comprising 7,000-22,000 military personnel. A division is commanded by a major general. A division also includes a minimum of 2 brigades, an artillery brigade, a division signal, and other supporting elements. Each division is designed to operate either on its own in special operations or with combat support and combat support services.
A brigade is an organization of units, 3 battalions, and other support elements.
A battalion is a reasonably self-sufficient unit. A battalion is a basic unit for combat and support of an army.
Below is a list of Army divisions in the Nigerian army
List of Army Divisions in Nigeria
1st division
The 1st Division is a formation of the Nigerian Army. Its history can be traced to 1967, during the Nigerian civil war. In August to September 1967, 1 Area command at Kaduna was redesigned as 1 infantry Division. The headquarters is at Kaduna. This division is responsible for securing the North-Western part of Nigeria and also ensuring that all other borders located around its Area of Responsibility are secured. The division is a mechanized infantry with affiliated combat support and combat service support units.
Divisional components
241 Recce Battalion at Nguru
1 Mechanised Brigade at Sokoto
65 Mechanised Battalion
81 Motorised Battalion
223 Light Battalion
Other formations of the 1st division include the 3rd Brigade located at Kano, 17 Brigade, 41 Division Engineers, a signals formation of brigade-size, and the 31st Artillery Brigade
The 2 Division
The 2 division is a division of the Nigerian Army. This division was active since the Nigerian Civil war. Its headquarters is located at Ibadan in the South-West. The division comprises a mechanized infantry with affiliated combat support and combat service support units. Divisions of the 2 division include:
4 Brigade Benin
22 Brigade Ilorin
42 Brigade Akure
42 Engineer Brigade Ibadan
52 Signal Brigade Ibadan
2 Division Garrison, Ibadan
19 Battalion at Okitipupa
195 Battalion at Agenebode
The 2 division is responsible for securing the South-Western part of Nigeria and also ensuring that the borders located in its AOR are secured
3rd Armoured Division
The 3rd armoured division has its headquarters at Rukuba Cantonment, Jos, Plateau State.
The establishment of the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army can be traced back to August–September 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War. Other formations under this division include:
Yola Brigade (23 Brigade)
243 Recce Battalion; 21 Armoured Brigade Maiduguri (this includes 211 Tank Battalion, 212 Tank Battalion, 93 Mechanized Battalion)
23 Armoured Brigade Yola (this includes 231 Tank Battalion, 232 Tank Battalion, 3 Mechanised Battalion)
33 Artillery Brigades (this includes 331, 332 Field Artillery Regiments, 333 Air Defence Regiment)
23 Brigade (which includes 231 and 232 Tank Battalions)
6 Amphibious Division
The 6 Division is one of the newest formations of the Nigerian Army. Its establishment was announced on 13 January 2016 and was done on the 8 November 2016. It is located in the South-South, Port Harcourt. The division is responsible for securing the Niger Delta/coastal region and other oil and gas assets and infrastructure. The formations in this division include army 2 Brigade Akwa Ibom; 16 Brigade Bayelsa and 63 Brigade in Delta state. The 6 Amphibious division also comprises artillery, infantry, and armored units.
7th division
The formations under the 7th division include 23 Brigade in Yola, Adamawa State, 21 Brigade in Maiduguri, and 22 Brigade in Ilorin, 241 Reece Battalion in Yobe state. The Division was established to help counter the threat of insurgency, terrorism, and armed banditry prevalent in the North-Eastern part of the country. The division began operations on the 22nd of August, 2013, and is responsible for the 3 North-Eastern state of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe state. The Division’s Headquarters is located in Maiduguri.
8 Task Force Division
The establishment of the 8 Task Force Division was announced on the 13th of January 2016. The establishment of this additional formation brought the number of divisions in the Nigerian Army to eight. Although the Nigerian Army Command in August 2013 had established the 7th Infantry Division in Maiduguri to boost the military’s counter-insurgency operation in the North-East, the 8 Task Force Division was also established as part of a strategic plan by the Army to boost military operations against terrorists, particularly in areas around the Lake Chad Basin. The 8 Task Force Division of the Nigerian Army is located in the northern part of Borno state. The troops of 8 Task Force Division began an operation codenamed Operation HARD KNOCK on the 1st of November 2016. The aim of the operation was to clear pockets Boko Haram terrorist hiding in remote areas of Borno State, along Nigeria-Niger borders.
81 Division [Lagos Garrison Command]
The Lagos Garrison Command was upgraded to a full-fledged Division on the 26th of May 2002. It was then the 81 division was formed. The Lagos Garrison Organization (LGO), was created in January 1964 and located at Abalti Barracks, Lagos state. Its responsibilities were to provide security in Lagos and parts of Ogun state. The division has two fighting battalions (165 and 19 Mechanised Battalions) and 242 Recce Battalion with the service support elements.
82 Division
82 Division, formerly known as 4 Infantry Division was established in August 1975 after a reorganization of the Nigerian Army (NA) that same year. Formations under this division are:
245 Recce Battalion
7 Amphibious Batalion
93 Amphibious Batalion
146 Amphibious Batalion
2 Amphibious Brigade
1 Amphibious Battalion
41 Motorised Battalion
13 Motorised Brigade
4 Motorised Battalion
103 Motorised Battalion
35 Amphibious Battalion
34 Field Artillery Brigade
341 Field Artillery Regiment
342 Field Artillery Regiment
343 Air Defence Regiment
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