Security tops 2026 budget as President Tinubu proposes N5.41trn allocation
By Kunle Sanni –
President Bola Tinubu has proposed N5.41 trillion for security in the 2026 budget, marking the largest allocation across all sectors and continuing a three-year trend of prioritising defence and safety since his administration began presenting national budgets in November 2023.
The president announced the figures on Friday while presenting the N58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, emphasising that national security remains the foundation for economic growth, investment and social stability.
Under the proposed budget, security spending surpasses allocations for infrastructure, education and health, reflecting a pattern established in the 2024 and 2025 budgets. The high priority is in response to ongoing threats from terrorism, banditry and kidnapping across the country.
“Security remains the foundation of development,” Tinubu told lawmakers, stressing that other sectors of the economy cannot thrive without peace and stability.
Earlier in the day, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the 2026 budget framework at an emergency meeting chaired for the first time by Vice President Kashim Shettima. The council set total expenditure at N58.47 trillion, noting heavy fiscal pressures from debt servicing, wages and security commitments.
Breaking down the security allocation, the President said the funds would be used to modernise the armed forces, strengthen intelligence-led policing, enhance border surveillance and support joint operations among security agencies.
“We will invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes because security spending must deliver security results,” he stated.
Tinubu also unveiled plans to reset Nigeria’s national security architecture, including the creation of a new national counter-terrorism doctrine focused on unified command, intelligence coordination and community stability. He further declared that all armed groups operating outside state authority — including bandits, militias, kidnappers, armed gangs and violent cult groups — would be officially classified as terrorists, along with their financiers, informants and enablers.
