Federal Government Allocates Additional N14bn for Military Equipment Amid Rising Insecurity
The Federal Government has invested an extra N14 billion in various military assets between September and October 2024. This recent expenditure follows an earlier allocation of N63.6 billion for the procurement of essential equipment and ammunition for the military and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) during the first seven months of the year.
A recent analysis conducted by our correspondent via GovSpend, a civic tech platform dedicated to monitoring and analyzing government expenditures, revealed that on April 16, 2024, the Ministry of Defence disbursed N990 million to Equipment and Protective Applications International Limited for ammunition procurement. Furthermore, on April 22, 2024, the ministry allocated N941 million to the same company for the acquisition of light tactical and heavy anti-mine armored vehicles, as well as additional ammunition.
On July 2, 2024, the Defence Ministry made a significant payment of N3.2 billion for the purchase of bullet-resistant guard booths equipped with surveillance capabilities and proximity detectors. Additionally, on July 26, 2024, the ministry authorized N33 billion in five installments through its naira transit account aimed at securing critical operational equipment for the armed forces. Another N3 billion was paid on July 27, 2024, by the Defence Headquarters to cover “critical and urgent operational support” reflecting the balance of 50 percent from the 2023 supplementary appropriation.
On July 31, 2024, a special allocation of N22 billion was made to ONSA for the procurement of vital equipment.
According to further analysis from the GovSpend platform, a total of N14 billion was allocated for military equipment between September and October. This included a N4 billion expenditure on September 13 for “critical combat equipment for the Nigerian armed forces.” On October 9, the Nigerian Air Force executed two payments for defense equipment, totaling N6.4 billion, with N5.2 billion in the first tranche and N1.2 billion in the second. Finally, another N4 billion was disbursed by the Ministry of Defence on October 23, bringing the government’s total military spending to N77.6 billion in the first ten months of 2024.
A comprehensive review of the yearly budgets for the Defence Ministry and eight other armed forces indicates that from 2020 to 2023, a total of N231.27 billion was spent on arms and ammunition for security agencies. This amount includes N11.72 billion allocated in 2020, N10.78 billion in 2021, N9.64 billion in 2022, along with N47.02 billion and a supplementary budget of N184.25 billion in 2023.
During the same period, it was noted that the government also expended N115 billion on the importation of arms and ammunition. Justifying these extensive arms procurement investments, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa, addressing the House of Representatives alongside other security officials in 2023, emphasized that the expenditure on ammunition should not be perceived as excessive, as it is denominated in U.S. dollars, and highlighted the fact that Nigeria does not manufacture its own military hardware.
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