Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has commended the Nigerian Army and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) for approving four additional Army formations in the state, describing the development as significant to security and national defence.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Barrister Bayo Lawal, the governor made the commendation on Wednesday at a public sensitisation programme for indigenes and stakeholders on the ongoing 92 Regular Recruits Intake (RRI) for Trades/Non-Tradesmen and Women, held at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan. In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Makinde said the new formations would strengthen security in the state.
Makinde listed the new formations as a Brigade and Battalion in Oyo town, an Infantry Battalion in Kishi, a newly approved Artillery Regiment Battalion in Iseyin and another Battalion in Oriire. He said the formations were strategic not only for local security but also for national defence and attack operations.
The governor described the sensitisation programme as timely, particularly in view of recent banditry challenges, stressing that only an organised and identifiable institution such as the Nigerian Army could effectively confront such threats.
He also linked the recruitment exercise to employment opportunities for youths, noting that although the state government had employed more than 23,000 workers into the civil and public service since 2019, thousands of qualified youths remained unemployed. He said joining the Army could provide young men and women with meaningful employment and a clear career path.
Speaking on the 92 Regular Recruits Intake, the Team Lead, Brigadier General Olusegun Okungbure, said the sensitisation programme was aimed at encouraging able-bodied youths to enlist. He disclosed that the exercise commenced on September 9, 2026, and would end on October 21, 2026, adding that qualified male and female indigenes of Oyo State were eligible to apply.
Okungbure emphasised that the application was free and advised prospective applicants to use only the official Nigerian Army recruitment portal. He explained that the current recruitment drive followed an earlier exercise ordered by the COAS due to low turnout from Oyo State, noting that despite an improvement in applications, the state had yet to meet its allotted quota of successful candidates.
He urged youths across the 33 local government areas to see enlistment as a call to national service rather than merely a means of securing employment, highlighting opportunities for national integration, foreign exposure, peacekeeping experience, improved welfare and world-class medical care.
In his vote of thanks, the Executive Adviser to the Governor on Security Coordination, Major General Lukman Omoniyi (rtd), appreciated Makinde for his support for security agencies and urged stakeholders to take the recruitment message to their communities. Earlier, the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, encouraged parents to support their wards in registering and urged applicants to comply with all entry requirements to help Oyo State meet its recruitment quota.
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