Nigeria’s budget for security tilts heavily toward ground forces, with the Army taking the most significant share

  • The Nigerian Army is allocated ₦1.5 trillion, surpassing the ₦1 trillion mark and making it the highest-funded force in the proposal.
  • Police formations and commands receive ₦1.3 trillion, exceeding the ₦ 1 trillion threshold in the 2026 budget.
  • The Nigerian Navy’s proposed allocation stands at ₦443.9 billion, keeping it well below the trillion-naira range reached by the top two.
  • The Nigerian Air Force is allocated ₦407.2 billion.

Nigeria’s proposed 2026 security budget is heavily concentrated in land-based forces, with the Army (₦1.50 trillion) and Police (₦1.30 trillion) jointly absorbing over two-thirds of total allocations, signalling a clear priority on internal security and territorial control.

In contrast, the Navy (₦443.9 billion) and Air Force (₦407.2 billion) receive less than one-third of the combined total, highlighting a comparatively lower fiscal emphasis on maritime security and air power. The distribution underscores a defence posture focused more on domestic stabilisation than on force projection or advanced military capability.

Source:

Budget Office of the Federation, Nigeria

Period:

2026
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
President Tinubu has been outside Nigeria for 237 days since May 2023, about 24% of his total time in office so far
  • President Tinubu has spent 237 days (about eight months) abroad since 2023.
  • France alone accounts for 89 days, making it his most-visited country.
  • The UK ranks second with 28 days.
  • The UAE, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia feature prominently.
  • Asia is well represented by China, India, and Japan, indicating growing engagement with Eastern economies.
  • Several African countries appear on the list, showing continued regional diplomacy.
  • Most countries recorded fewer than ten days, suggesting many short, targeted visits.
Kidnapping for ransom accounted for 40% of terrorist funding in Nigeria (2018-2024)
  • Kidnapping for ransom is the largest source of terrorist and bandit funding in Nigeria, accounting for 40%.
  • Resource extraction contributes 25%, highlighting the importance of illegal mining and natural-resource exploitation in sustaining armed groups.
  • Extortion makes up 15% of total funding, demonstrating the broad reach of coercive levies imposed on communities and businesses.
  • Illegal taxation (10%) remains a steady revenue stream.
  • External support accounts for 7%, indicating some level of international or cross-border backing for these groups.
Nigeria’s insecurity is driven primarily by guns, with about seven out of ten bandit and terrorist attacks in Nigeria involving firearms
  • Firearms were used in about 70%% of all attacks, making them the single most important driver of violent insecurity in Nigeria.
  • 14,782 attacks were recorded between 2018 and 2024, underscoring the scale of sustained armed violence.
  • Explosives accounted for 15% of incidents, showing continued but secondary use of IEDs and bombings.
  • Melee weapons made up 12%, reflecting close-range violence but far lower impact than gun attacks.
Egypt and Algeria are Africa’s only military elite powers in the global top 20 list
  • Egypt and Algeria are Africa’s only countries in the global top 20 military strength ranking.
  • The United States remains the world’s strongest military, with a near-perfect power index score.
  • Africa’s global military influence is highly concentrated in just two countries.
  • No Sub-Saharan African country appears in the global top 20.
  • Several African countries cluster in the global bottom 10, highlighting weak military capacity.
  • The gap between Africa’s strongest and weakest militaries is significant.
Among African nationals, Nigeria recorded the highest number of criminal alien arrests in the US
  • The U.S Department of Homeland Security specifies that the data reflects the “worst of the worst” criminal aliens arrested by ICE, not general immigration arrests.
  • Nigeria leads the list with 40 arrests, the highest among all African nationals reported.
  • Somalia (27) and Liberia (21) follow, forming a concentrated top tier.
  • Most countries report fewer than 10 arrests, showing a sharp decline beyond the top group.
Policemen dedicated to VIP protection account for nearly one-third of 371,800 personnel in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)
  • Nigeria has 371,800 police personnel as of 2025
  • 100,000 officers, 26.9% of the NPF, are dedicated to VIP and politician protection
  • Only 73.1% of personnel (271,800 officers) remain available for general public policing
  • Nearly one-third of the police workforce is focused on elite protection rather than community safety
  • The heavy VIP-protection allocation reduces manpower available for daily security operations
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved