President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday proposed an allocation of N5.41 trillion for defence and security in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, the single largest sectoral provision in the N58.18 trillion budget presented to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The allocation marks the third consecutive year that security spending has topped the national budget under the Tinubu administration, underscoring government’s continued focus on addressing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Presenting the budget, Tinubu said national security remained the bedrock of economic growth, investment and social stability, insisting that other sectors could not thrive in the absence of peace.
“Security remains the foundation of development,” the President told lawmakers, adding that sustained investment in the sector was unavoidable given prevailing threats across the country.
Under the proposal, defence and security will receive N5.41 trillion, ahead of infrastructure, education and health. Infrastructure is allocated N3.56 trillion, education N3.52 trillion, and health N2.48 trillion.
Earlier on Friday, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the 2026 budget framework at an emergency meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima. The council pegged total expenditure at N58.47 trillion, citing mounting pressures from debt servicing, personnel costs and security obligations.
Tinubu said the security allocation would be used to modernise the armed forces, strengthen intelligence-led policing, enhance border surveillance and improve coordination among security agencies.
“We will invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes because security spending must deliver security results,” he said.
The President also announced a major overhaul of Nigeria’s national security architecture, including the adoption of a new counter-terrorism doctrine based on unified command, intelligence coordination and community stability.
Under the proposed framework, all armed groups operating outside state authority — including bandits, militias, kidnappers, armed gangs and violent cult groups — would be formally designated as terrorists, alongside their financiers, informants and enablers.
Tinubu said the reclassification was necessary to close legal and operational gaps that had allowed violent groups to flourish.
While acknowledging the strain on public finances, the President linked the heavy security allocation to broader development objectives.
“Without security, investment will not thrive. Without educated and healthy citizens, productivity will not rise. Without infrastructure, jobs and enterprise will not scale,” he said.
He urged the National Assembly to support the budget proposal, describing it as a critical step toward consolidating recent economic gains and restoring public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.
