The Federal Government has announced plans to establish a new Nigerian Army depot in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The approval raises the number of army depots in Nigeria to three, joining the existing facilities in Kaduna and Osogbo, which had served the country for decades.

Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, made the disclosure in a post shared on X on Saturday.

He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a new depot for the Nigerian Army in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. This development takes the number of depots in Nigeria to three up from one that has existed for decades. – Kaduna – ⁠Osogbo – ⁠Abakaliki”

In a video shared by Olusegun, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu, said the move is aimed at strengthening the Nigerian Army amid security challenges across the country.

“All these are geared towards increasing the strength of the Nigerian Army, and the reasons are not far-fetched. There are security challenges across the length and breadth of the country in each geopolitical zone,” Shaibu said.

He added that 3,500 additional troops will be trained at the new depot, with another 3,500 set to arrive next week from Osogbo.

According to Shaibu, the soldiers will undergo advanced infantry training, leveraging technology such as indoor shooting ranges to improve marksmanship and operational readiness.

“So now with this additional 3,500 troops coming on board, as well as next week we have another 3,500 troops coming on board from Oshogo, all these troops will now be given further training, advanced infantry training, before their deployment in various areas of operation. To increase the strength of our venerable troops and boots on the ground in tackling the security challenges in the country.

“Even in training here, we are leveraging technology. We have the indoor shooting range, which is one of the ways we look to improve their marksmanship principles. And that is part of leveraging technology, right from their training session. When they go to the field, they will have more advanced specialist training as well, so that they complement their skills in preparing them for the tasks ahead,” he said.

According to Shaibu, the new depot is expected to boost the army’s capacity to tackle security threats and enhance operational effectiveness across Nigeria.