ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has asked the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army to reconsider the proposed location of the headquarters of the newly established 83 Division, arguing that Delta offers strategic advantages for the command.
Oborevwori made the case on Tuesday when he received a Nigerian Army Headquarters delegation led by the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Major-General Thompson Bobby Ugiagbe, during a stakeholders’ consultation on the Army’s new Areas of Responsibility.
The 83 Division is designed to oversee Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states as part of the Nigerian Army’s expansion from eight to 12 divisions. The Army had previously announced Benin City as the proposed headquarters, with the division expected to become operational later this year.
But Oborevwori told the visiting delegation that Delta should be considered for the headquarters because of its geographical position within the proposed area of responsibility and the concentration of critical economic and national security assets in the state.
According to the governor, Delta provides a central point from which the Army could reach the three states more efficiently.
He also linked the proposed relocation to the need to strengthen the protection of oil and gas installations and other strategic infrastructure spread across the state and the wider South-South region.
Oborevwori said Delta’s infrastructure, including airports and seaports, further strengthened its case for hosting the division headquarters.
He cited the airports in Asaba, Osubi and Escravos, as well as the ports and port facilities around Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko, as strategic assets requiring effective security coverage.
Beyond making the case for the headquarters, the governor offered the state’s cooperation to facilitate the establishment of the formation.
He said the state government was prepared to make land available, provide temporary facilities and offer financial support where necessary to ensure a smooth take-off of the new Army formations.
Oborevwori said Delta had previously supported military formations in the state through the provision of land and infrastructure, adding that his administration remained willing to deepen the partnership.
He also pointed to the number of retired senior military officers from Delta, including former four-star generals, as another reason he considered the state suitable for hosting the headquarters.
Responding to the governor’s appeal, Ugiagbe explained that the consultation was part of the Army’s ongoing process of reorganising its command structure following President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the force from eight to 12 divisions.
Under the new arrangement, the 83 Division will oversee Delta, Edo and Bayelsa, with additional formations to be established to improve security coverage and reduce the time required to respond to threats across the area.
Ugiagbe said Delta would retain the 63 Brigade headquarters in Asaba, alongside existing formations in Warri, including the 90 Amphibious Battalion and the 181 Battalion.
He disclosed that Delta would also have three additional formations: the 246 Reconnaissance Battalion in Oleh, a Field Artillery Regiment and an Air Defence Regiment.
The Army is considering placing the Field Artillery Regiment near the brigade headquarters, while Osubi is being considered for the Air Defence Regiment because of its proximity to critical infrastructure.
Ugiagbe said the Air Defence Regiment would be particularly important for protecting strategic facilities such as airports, refineries and other critical national infrastructure.
The Army delegation also sought the state government’s assistance with land and temporary facilities for the new formations pending the development of permanent infrastructure.
Ugiagbe said the Army would work with relevant state agencies to identify, map and document suitable locations for the formations.
He explained that the broader restructuring was intended to improve the geographical distribution of military formations, close security gaps and reduce response time to threats within the division’s operational area.
While the Army’s existing plan places the 83 Division headquarters in Benin City, the governor’s intervention introduces a fresh political and strategic argument for Delta to host the command. The final headquarters location therefore remains an issue for the relevant Federal Government and Army authorities to determine.
The consultation also indicates that, irrespective of the final headquarters location, Delta is expected to receive additional Army formations under the new structure, including the Air Defence and Field Artillery units.
The Army’s expanded structure is part of a wider Federal Government plan to strengthen command and control, improve operational coordination and enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure.
