The Federal Government has allocated over N13.12 billion for the purchase of arms, ammunition, and related equipment for Nigeria’s security agencies as part of the 2026 appropriation bill.
Budget documents reveal that a total of N13,124,747,575 has been set aside for key security agencies to acquire weapons and protective gear.
Under the proposal, the Ministry of Defence will receive N688.8 million for the purchase of arms and ammunition for the Armed Forces, while the Defence Headquarters is allocated N1.46 billion for similar procurement.
The Nigerian Air Force has been allocated the largest share, with N6.13 billion dedicated to acquiring various aircraft platforms, arms, and ammunition. Additionally, the Air Force will spend N1.79 billion on the purchase of 2,000 AR-M5T assault rifles.
The Nigerian Immigration Service has been allocated N702.7 million for arms, ammunition, webbing, and ballistic protection equipment, while the Nigeria Police Force will receive N1.03 billion for arms, ammunition, and protective gear.
The Department of State Services is set to spend N1 billion on arms and ammunition under the 2026 budget.
Other beneficiaries include the National Park Headquarters, which will procure 100 firearms and ammunition with N68.8 million, and the Nigerian Defence Academy, which will allocate N253.5 million for the acquisition of automatic rifles and magazines for cadet training.
These allocations come after a significant decline in Nigeria’s arms and ammunition spending in 2025. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that arms and ammunition imports fell to about N49 billion in 2025, compared to N520 billion in 2024.
According to the NBS foreign trade reports, arms imports stood at N22.08 billion in the first quarter of 2025, dropped to N4.87 billion in the second quarter, and then rose to N23.49 billion in the third quarter.
The figures were compiled from various sources, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian National Petroleum Company, oil and gas firms, private sector operators, as well as aviation and port authorities.
Analysts warn that unless additional procurements are approved, Nigeria’s arms acquisition spending may continue to decline in 2026, despite the increasing security challenges facing the country.
