2026 Budget: Tinubu Proposes N58.18trn, Prioritises Security with N5.41trn Allocation
Security has emerged as the top priority in President Bola Tinubu’s proposed ₦58.18 trillion 2026 budget, with ₦5.41 trillion earmarked for defence and internal security—the largest single sectoral allocation in the fiscal plan.
Presenting the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity” to a joint session of the National Assembly on Friday, the President said the substantial allocation reflected his administration’s determination to restore peace and stability amid persistent insecurity across the country.
Tinubu noted that years of banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and communal violence had continued to fuel public anxiety and undermine economic activities, stressing that the government was undertaking a comprehensive reset of the national security architecture.
According to him, the new approach is anchored on unified command, intelligence-led operations and community-based stability measures, alongside a tougher counter-terrorism doctrine.
Under the revised framework, Tinubu declared that all armed groups operating outside the authority of the state would be designated as terrorists.
“Henceforth, and under this new architecture, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists,” the President said.
He listed bandits, militias, armed gangs, kidnappers, violent cult groups, as well as their financiers, facilitators and political sponsors, warning that the government would no longer tolerate the proliferation of illegal arms and organised violence.
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“The denominator is that if you wield lethal weapons and act outside the state’s authority, you are a terrorist,” Tinubu stated.
The President’s hardline stance comes amid renewed attacks in parts of the North-West and North-Central, lingering insurgency in the North-East and growing concerns over organised criminal networks that have disrupted farming, trade and investment.
Beyond security, Tinubu said the 2026 budget was designed to strengthen what he described as the interconnected pillars of national growth. He disclosed that ₦3.56 trillion had been allocated to infrastructure, ₦3.52 trillion to education and ₦2.48 trillion to health.
“No nation can grow beyond the quality of its people,” the President said, highlighting the impact of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which he said had so far supported more than 418,000 students in tertiary institutions nationwide.
He added that health spending accounts for six per cent of the total budget size, net of liabilities, noting that recent high-level engagements with the United States government had opened access to over $500 million in grant funding for targeted health interventions.
On the economy, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to agricultural reforms, expanded mechanisation, irrigation and agro-value chains, describing food security as a critical component of national security as the government works to curb food inflation and reduce import dependence.
As he concluded the budget presentation, the President stressed that the success of the 2026 fiscal plan would depend on effective implementation rather than promises.
“The greatest budget is not the one we announce. It is the one we deliver,” Tinubu said, pledging improved revenue mobilisation, disciplined spending and stronger accountability across government.
By PRNigeria
