Nigeria’s worsening security crisis is being compounded by chronic underfunding of the armed forces, with official government records showing that only a fraction of budgeted allocations for critical military equipment, aircraft maintenance and operational needs was released in 2025, even as insurgent attacks intensified across several parts of the country.
An analysis of budget implementation data published on the Federal Government’s Open Treasury Portal, and first reported by Daily Trust, indicates that the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force received only limited funding for key procurement and operational programmes despite escalating attacks by Boko Haram, ISWAP, bandits and other armed groups.
The figures raise fresh questions about the military’s capacity to sustain operations against insurgents at a time when security experts, lawmakers and regional leaders have warned that the country’s security situation has deteriorated sharply.
The data showed that of the N20.56 billion budgeted by the Nigerian Army for the purchase of security equipment in 2025, only N1.46 billion, representing 7.11 per cent, had been released by December 31.
Similarly, only N16.71 billion, or 4.96 per cent, of the N336.76 billion earmarked for the procurement of defence equipment was disbursed during the year.
Funding for other operational priorities was also poor. Only 10 per cent of the allocation for construction of defence equipment and 9.07 per cent for repairs of defence equipment were released. Local and international military training received just 10.78 per cent and 6.71 per cent of their respective budgets, while motor vehicle fuel costs recorded a release rate of 7.45 per cent.
No releases were made for several important budget lines, including aircraft fuel, transport equipment fuel, military barracks construction, promotion and recruitment activities, and research and development.
Overall, the army received N1.17 trillion, representing 25.94 per cent, of its total proposed expenditure of N4.52 trillion for the year.
The Nigerian Air Force recorded a similarly weak budget performance.
Of its N298.44 billion budget for defence equipment procurement, only N19.25 billion, representing 6.45 per cent, was released. Aircraft maintenance, a critical component of air operations against insurgents, received N4.85 billion out of N34.71 billion, translating to just 13.98 per cent implementation.
Aircraft fuel also recorded low releases, with only N2.23 billion, or 5.07 per cent, of the N43.91 billion budget disbursed.
No funds were released for several projects, including construction of defence equipment, welfare packages, military barracks construction and repairs, and transport equipment fuel.
By contrast, the report noted that the Presidential Air Fleet recorded almost full budget implementation, receiving N20.27 billion out of its N20.74 billion allocation, representing 97.76 per cent.
The funding gaps come despite President Bola Tinubu extending implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act to June 2026 while signing the N68.32 trillion 2026 budget into law, amid growing concerns over fiscal pressures, rising public debt and limited government revenues.
The poor releases coincided with a resurgence of violent attacks across the country.
According to data cited in the Daily Trust report, Abuja-based Beacon Security Intelligence Limited (BSIL) estimated that more than 10,000 people were killed across Nigeria during the 2025 budget cycle.
The organisation also reported that more than 2,350 people were killed and 1,117 abducted during the first quarter of 2026.
In recent months, Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents have launched coordinated attacks on military formations in Borno State, killing both soldiers and civilians. Several senior military commanders were among those killed, while attacks have also spread across Kaduna, Katsina, Benue and other states.
Despite the setbacks, the military has intensified operations in Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, the Mandara Mountains and the Lake Chad Basin, eliminating scores of insurgents and destroying several terrorist camps.
Security analyst and BSIL Chief Executive Officer, Dr Kabiru Adamu, said the low level of budget releases has had direct consequences for Nigeria’s security.
He argued that inadequate funding has slowed military recruitment, weakened operational capability and enabled insurgent groups to regroup and launch more sophisticated attacks.
Adamu also called for sweeping reforms in military procurement, warning that political interference and weak accountability have undermined defence spending.
According to him, frontline troops require better protection through armoured vehicles, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, modern weapons, secure communications and greater investment in emerging technologies such as drones and counter-drone systems.
Former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, also expressed concern over the budget performance, saying that security agencies cannot be expected to deliver results when approved budgets are not backed by timely releases.
He warned that non-state armed groups were increasingly gaining an operational advantage because of better access to weapons and ammunition, urging the government to prioritise security funding.
Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, echoed similar concerns, insisting that Nigerian troops remain highly motivated but are handicapped by shortages of ammunition, armoured vehicles, gun trucks and attack helicopters.
Speaking after recent attacks in his constituency, Ndume said troops were sometimes forced into tactical withdrawals because they lacked sufficient ammunition and protective equipment, stressing that insurgency could be defeated more quickly if the military was adequately funded, equipped and motivated.
Efforts by the paper to obtain comments from the military high command on the budget performance were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to the Director of Defence Information reportedly went unanswered at the time of publication.
