FG Targets Terrorism, Banditry with ₦5.41trn Security Allocation in 2026 Budget
President Bola Tinubu on Friday has placed national security at the centre of the 2026 budget, committing ₦5.41 trillion to defence, policing and related security operations.
Presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja, Tinubu declared security the bedrock of national survival, warning that economic growth and investment cannot thrive in an unsafe country.
“National security remains the foundation of development,” the President said, as he outlined plans to modernise the Armed Forces, expand intelligence-led policing and deploy advanced surveillance technologies across Nigeria’s borders and flashpoints.
The security allocation— the largest single sectoral provision in the 2026 budget — will fund new equipment for the military, strengthen joint operations among security agencies and support community-based peacebuilding efforts aimed at containing violent extremism.
Tinubu, confronting persistent attacks across several regions, announced a reset of Nigeria’s security architecture, including a new national counterterrorism doctrine anchored on unified command, intelligence coordination and community stability.
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“We will show no mercy to those who commit or support acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and other violent crimes,” he said, adding that all armed groups operating outside state authority would be treated as terrorists.
The President listed bandits, militias, armed gangs, violent cults, forest-based criminal networks and foreign-linked mercenaries as targets of intensified military and law-enforcement operations.
He insisted that security spending would no longer be open-ended, stressing that every naira allocated must deliver results. “Security investment must translate into safer communities and restored public confidence,” Tinubu said.
Beyond security, the President said the 2026 budget aims to consolidate recent economic gains, citing moderating inflation, improved oil output and stronger external reserves. Still, he acknowledged that insecurity remains the biggest threat to livelihoods, food production and national cohesion.
The proposed 2026 budget projects total expenditure of ₦58.18 trillion, revenue of ₦34.33 trillion and a deficit of ₦23.85 trillion, representing 4.28 per cent of GDP.
With the heavy security spend, Tinubu signalled that stabilising the country remains the administration’s overriding priority as the budget heads to the National Assembly for scrutiny and approval.
By PRNigeria
