.Defence gulps $44.641bn or 12.5% of N262.834trn budget
…Nigeria records over 100,000 violent deaths since 2012
…NASS probes Defence spending
….CDS seeks stronger Police, Civil Defence collaboration
…Senate, Reps target March 31 passage of N58.47trn 2026 budget
By Clifford Ndujihe & Gift Odekina
LAGOS — Despite allocating approximately N32.88 trillion to defence over the past 15 years—about 12.5 per cent of the total N262.834 trillion national budgets during the period—Nigeria remains trapped in protracted insecurity.Given the official budget exchange rates in the various years, the N32.88 trillion is $44.641billion.Across several regions, communities continue to endure insurgency, banditry, kidnappings, communal clashes and oil-related violence, raising questions about whether increased defence spending is translating into improved safety for citizens.Security trackers estimate that over 100,000 Nigerians have been killed in violent conflicts and insecurity-related incidents since 2012, while thousands more have been abducted and millions displaced from their homes.
The crisis appears far from abating in 2026, with no fewer than 1,091 lives reportedly lost to violent attacks within the first 41 days of this year alone. Currently, no fewer than 3.726 million Nigerians are displaced by insecurity and are scattered in about 3,900 camps across the country. And now the suicide bombers, who reigned in the polity in 2014 have returned with scores killed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Monday.
Against this backdrop, the National Assembly has intensified scrutiny of defence spending as lawmakers work toward passing the 2026 Appropriation Bill by March 31.
