Nigeria Army
The Nigerian Army fields 2,732 active armoured vehicles and artillery systems in 2026 — 330 main battle tanks, 62 infantry fighting vehicles, 558 armoured personnel carriers, 514 light armoured vehicles, 876 protected mobility vehicles, 40 self-propelled guns, 315 towed artillery pieces, 37 rocket launchers. It ranks #42 of 90 armies on the ARMS Index.
Full inventory in 2026
35 equipment types| Equipment | Variant | Active | Stored | Ordered | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Battle Tank | |||||
|
T-55 | — | 100 | — | — |
|
T-72 | T-72AV/M1 | 41 | — | — |
|
VT-4 | — | 17 | — | — |
|
Vickers Mk3 | — | 172 | — | — |
| Infantry Fighting Vehicle | |||||
|
BMP-1 | — | 22 | — | — |
|
BMP-2 | — | 40 | — | — |
| Armored Personnel Carrier | |||||
| BTR-3U | BTR-3U Guardian | 47 | — | — | |
|
BTR-60 | — | 6 | — | — |
|
BTR-70 | — | 18 | — | — |
|
MT-LB | — | 67 | — | — |
| Mowag Piranha | — | 110 | — | — | |
| Saurer 4K 4FA | — | 250 | — | — | |
|
Type 89 | — | 60 | — | — |
| Light Armoured Vehicle | |||||
|
EE-9 Cascavel | — | 70 | — | — |
|
FV101 Scorpion | — | 157 | — | — |
| FV107 Scimitar | — | 5 | — | — | |
|
Panhard AML | AML-60/90 | 130 | — | — |
|
Panhard ERC | ERC-90 | 80 | — | — |
|
Panhard VBL | — | 72 | — | — |
| Protected Mobility Vehicle | |||||
| CS/VP3 | — | 310 | — | — | |
| Ezugwu | — | 80 | — | — | |
|
Otokar Cobra | — | 204 | — | — |
| Proforce PF Hulk | — | 5 | — | — | |
| REVA-3 | Mk III | 40 | — | — | |
| STREIT Spartan | Spartan/Typhoon/Warrior | 237 | — | — | |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | |||||
| Palmaria | — | 25 | — | — | |
| SH-5/SH-2 | SH-5 105 mm / SH-2 122 mm | 15 | — | — | |
| Towed Artillery | |||||
|
D-20 | — | 4 | — | — |
|
D-30 | — | 90 | — | — |
|
D-74 | — | 90 | — | — |
|
M-46 | — | 7 | — | — |
|
OTO Melara Mod 56 | — | 124 | — | — |
| Multiple Launch Rocket System | |||||
| APR-40 | — | 25 | — | — | |
|
BM-21 Grad | — | 5 | — | — |
|
RM-70 | — | 7 | — | — |
Overview
The Nigerian Army functions as the ground component of the Nigerian Armed Forces, commanded by the Chief of Army Staff under the direction of the Nigerian Army Council. Operational command is structured across twelve field divisions distributed among geopolitical zones: 1 Division in Kaduna, 2 Division in Ibadan, 3 Division in Jos, 5 Division in Makurdi, 6 Division in Port Harcourt, 7 Division in Maiduguri, 8 Division in Sokoto, 9 Division in Ilorin, 10 Division in Jalingo, 81 Division in Lagos, 82 Division in Enugu, and 83 Division in Benin City, alongside the Army Headquarters Garrison in Abuja. Formations within these commands consist of armored, mechanized infantry, motorized infantry, artillery, air defense, and special operations units.
Armored forces operate VT-4, T-72, and Vickers Mk 3 main battle tanks, supported by ST1 light tanks. Mechanized and motorized infantry units deploy BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, and mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles including the Otokar Cobra, CS/VP3, Proforce Ara, and DICON Ezugwu. Artillery units utilize SH1 and SH5 self-propelled howitzers, BM-21 Grad and RM-70 multiple rocket launchers, and towed D-30 field guns. Air defense capabilities rely on ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and Igla man-portable air defense systems. The army aviation branch operates Bell UH-1H Huey utility helicopters and MD 530F Cayuse Warrior light attack helicopters for troop movement, medical evacuation, and reconnaissance.
Ground forces execute counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism missions across multiple operational theaters. In the northeast, troops participate in Operation Hadin Kai targeting Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province factions, while contributing forces to the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad basin. In the northwest, units conduct counter-banditry operations under Operation Fansan Yamma. Additional deployments include Operation Delta Safe targeting oil infrastructure protection in the Niger Delta region, alongside Operation Whirl Stroke and Operation Safe Haven conducting security operations in the Middle Belt.
Equipment modernization involves foreign acquisitions and domestic manufacturing. Domestic vehicle production is managed by the Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria in coordination with the Command Engineering Depot, producing the Ezugwu mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, complemented by private sector manufacturing of the Proforce Ara. Foreign acquisitions consist of heavy armor and self-propelled artillery from China, light armored platforms from Turkey, and rotary-wing aircraft from the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
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- SEP 232026 Updated Type 89 IFVs, MT-LB, BTR-3U and Panhard armoured vehicles, Spartan and Cobra protected vehicles, and artillery added; T-72 fleet now 41.
- SEP 232026 Updated BTR-60/70 fleet entry split into separate BTR-60 and BTR-70 rows; CS/VP3 armoured vehicles added to the inventory.
- MAR 242026 Updated 17 vehicle types added