The federal government has allocated over N13.12 billion for the procurement of arms, ammunition, and other related equipment for Nigeria’s security agencies in the 2026 appropriation bill.
According to budget documents, a total of N13,124,747,575 has been set aside across key security institutions for weapons acquisition and protective gear.
The Ministry of Defence is set to receive N688.8 million for the purchase of arms and ammunition for the Armed Forces, while the Defence Headquarters will receive N1.46 billion for similar procurements.
The Nigerian Air Force has the largest share, with N6.13 billion allocated for various aircraft platforms, arms, and ammunition, in addition to N1.79 billion for the procurement of 2,000 AR-M5T assault rifles.
Other agencies, including the Nigerian Immigration Service, will receive N702.7 million for arms, ammunition, webbing, and ballistic protection gear, while the Nigeria Police Force is allocated N1.03 billion for arms, ammunition, and protective equipment.
The Department of State Services is also set to receive N1 billion for arms and ammunition.
Additional beneficiaries include the National Park Headquarters, which will procure 100 firearms and ammunition with N68.8 million and the Nigerian Defence Academy, which will use N253.5 million to acquire automatic rifles and magazines for cadet training.
This comes after a significant decline in Nigeria’s spending on arms and ammunition in 2025, with imports dropping to about N49 billion compared to N520 billion in 2024.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed a quarterly breakdown of arms imports: N22.08 billion in Q1 2025, N4.87 billion in Q2, and N23.49 billion in Q3.
Analysts note that without further approvals for procurement, Nigeria’s arms acquisition spending may continue to decline in 2026, despite mounting security challenges.
The government’s priority remains on reinforcing the capacity of its security agencies to address rising threats, including terrorism, banditry, and other forms of criminality across the country.