Nigeria’s president has approved the country’s largest military expansion in recent times – an attempt to tackle the slew of security challenges plaguing the nation.

Bola Tinubu has greenlit the recruitment of 28,000 extra soldiers and the creation of four new army divisions, which will take the total number up to 12.

Nigeria’s government is under intense pressure to curb the violence perpetrated by a variety of armed groups, including militant Islamists, separatists and gangs who kidnap civilians for ransom.

Over the past week, an armed gang killed at least 20 villagers in the north-western state of Zamfara and 46 students were abducted from a school in Borno state in the country’s north-east.

The students were rescued by the army hours after they were taken and generally, the authorities appear to have made recent inroads in their fight against armed gangs.

Despite this, the criminal groups have become more sophisticated and violence remains a defining aspect of life in Nigeria.

In announcing the military expansion, the government said new army divisions would ensure better co-ordination, intelligence sharing and faster response times.

Under the army’s current structure, multiple divisions have had to cover extensive areas that stretch from one state to another. Thus, their resources have been stretched in the face of persistent attacks.