The Nigerian Army received only 7.11% of its 2025 budget allocation for security equipment procurement, with N1.46bn disbursed out of N20.56bn by December 31, 2025, according to data from the federal government's Open Treasury Portal. The Army's overall expenditure disbursement stood at 25.94%, with N1.17trn released of the N4.52trn proposed. For defence equipment purchases, just 4.96% — N16.71bn of N336.76bn — was disbursed. Funding for repairs and construction fared poorly, with 10% and 9.07% released respectively against budgeted amounts of N57.59bn and N22.60bn. No funds were released for transport equipment fuel, aircraft fuel, military barracks construction, or research and development. Local and international training received minimal funding at 10.78% and 6.71%, while motor vehicle fuel cost disbursement was 7.45%. The Nigerian Air Force saw 19.04% of its total budget released, with aircraft maintenance receiving only 13.98% — N4.85bn of N34.71bn — despite aircraft being central to operations. In contrast, 97.76% of the presidential air fleet budget was utilised. The Air Force's defence equipment purchase allocation saw just 6.45% disbursed. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu extended the 2025 budget implementation to June 31, 2026, while Nigeria's debt reached N159.28trn by December 2025. A security consultant, Mike Ejiofor, cited the budget figures as evidence of deep funding concerns. From January to October 2025, 9,514 deaths were recorded nationwide, with the North accounting for 91.1% of fatalities by December.
The same budget that fully funded the presidential air fleet saw less than 7% of funds released for the Army's security equipment, exposing a stark imbalance in priority. Nigerian troops deployed in high-risk zones operate with deteriorating gear while official transport enjoys near-total funding. Mike Ejiofor's warning about systemic underfunding gains weight when lives lost in the North are measured against fuel allocations that never materialised. The numbers do not reflect strategy — they reflect neglect.
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