By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Nigeria’s military expansion has taken a decisive geographical turn, as the Nigerian Army broke ground on a new training depot in Ebonyi State, signalling both a strategic boost to national security and a calculated push to widen recruitment from the South-East.
The new facility, located at Amasiri-Edda in Afikpo and Edda Local Government Areas, is being built under a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s security architecture and expand the Army’s training capacity.
At the centre of Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony was Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, who formally launched construction and described the project as a long-awaited milestone for the state and the region.
“This is not just a military facility; it is a gateway of opportunity for our youths,” the governor said, thanking President Tinubu and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General W. Shaibu, for approving the depot.
He noted that the presence of a training institution would significantly increase enlistment from Ebonyi and neighbouring South-East states, while reinforcing the Army’s contribution to peace, security and economic activity in the area.
For the Nigerian Army, the project goes beyond brick and mortar.
Representing the Chief of Army Staff, the General Officer Commanding 82 Division and Commander of Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDO KA, Major General Oluremi Fadairo, framed the depot as a deliberate instrument of inclusion.
He said the establishment of the training depot aligns with the President’s vision of equitable distribution of military infrastructure and balanced national representation within the Armed Forces.
“The Nigerian Army belongs to all Nigerians,” Fadairo said. “This depot creates equal opportunity for youths in the South-East to enlist, train and serve the nation with pride.”
Fadairo challenged communities across the region to seize the moment by filling their recruitment quotas, stressing that no state is disadvantaged in the Army’s enlistment process.
According to him, Nigeria’s evolving security threats demand closer cooperation between the military and host communities, a partnership he said the new depot would strengthen.
He assured residents that the Training Depot, Amasiri-Edda, would not only support security operations but also act as a catalyst for stability, development and improved civil-military relations in the South-East.
The ceremony carried strong symbolic weight. Governor Nwifuru formally handed over land documents for the project to the Nigerian Army, represented by the Chief of Training (Army), Major General V. U. Okoro.
The event culminated in the laying of foundation blocks by the governor and the Army’s top representative, marking the official take-off of construction.
With the Ebonyi facility, the Nigerian Army now operates three training depots nationwide.
The pioneer Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria, established in 1924, remained the sole training hub for decades until the opening of the Osogbo depot in 2025.
The Amasiri-Edda depot now completes a strategic triangle aimed at meeting rising manpower demands in an increasingly complex security environment.
For the Army, the expansion underscores its determination to adapt, grow and project presence across all regions.
For Ebonyi and the wider South-East, it represents both a security investment and a long-term economic and social anchor.
As Nigeria recalibrates its defence posture, the message from Amasiri-Edda is unmistakable: the future of the Army is being built closer to home and it is calling the nation’s youths to answer.
