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According to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s arms imports between 2020 and mid-2025 totaled approximately N776.9 billion, underscoring the government’s intensified efforts to equip its security forces.
Annual Trends in Nigeria’s Defense Expenditure
The NBS Foreign Trade Report for the second quarter of 2025 reveals a fluctuating yet upward trajectory in arms spending. In 2020, the country allocated N29.24 billion for arms procurement. This figure surged to N72.50 billion in 2021, more than doubling the previous year’s outlay.
Although 2022 saw a brief decline to N28.24 billion, the upward momentum resumed sharply in 2023, with spending climbing to N127.16 billion. This increase mirrored intensifying security challenges, including widespread banditry, insurgency, and kidnappings.
The most dramatic escalation occurred in 2024, when Nigeria’s arms imports skyrocketed to N520.02 billion-the highest in the five-year span-reflecting the deepening insecurity, particularly in the northern and southern regions.
Preliminary figures for the first half of 2025 indicate an expenditure of N26.95 billion on weapons, suggesting continued prioritization of defense procurement.
Key Factors Behind the Surge in Defense Spending
The sharp rise in arms imports aligns closely with Nigeria’s multifaceted security crises, which include:
- Persistent insurgency and terrorist activities by Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Northeast
- Escalating banditry and mass abductions in the Northwest
- Ongoing conflicts between farmers and herders in the Middle Belt region
- Growing separatist movements and unrest in the Southeast
In response, the government has ramped up acquisitions of weapons systems, aircraft components, armored vehicles, and ammunition to bolster both military and paramilitary capabilities.
Nigeria’s 2025 Security Budget: A Closer Look
Beyond arms imports, Nigeria’s overall security allocation for 2025 highlights the government’s substantial investment in defense infrastructure and personnel.
Data from BudgIT reveals that the total Security and Defence Budget for 2025 stands at N6.57 trillion. The largest portion, N4.07 trillion, is dedicated to personnel expenses, including salaries, allowances, and welfare benefits.
Capital expenditures, covering equipment procurement and military infrastructure development, account for N1.50 trillion, while overhead costs are budgeted at N642.55 billion.
Allocation across key security agencies is as follows:
- Defence Ministry – N3.10 trillion
- Ministry of Police Affairs – N1.31 trillion
- Ministry of Interior (covering Immigration, Civil Defence, Prisons, etc.) – N1.11 trillion
- Office of the National Security Adviser – N690.84 billion
- Service-wide Votes – N638.34 billion
- Police Service Commission – N2.56 billion
This budgetary distribution underscores a strategic focus on human resources and operational readiness alongside procurement.
Beyond Budgeting: Rethinking Nigeria’s Security Approach
While increased funding is critical, experts caution that financial investment alone cannot resolve Nigeria’s security dilemmas. Retired General Ishola Williams contends that with comprehensive reforms, the nation could significantly curb insecurity within six months.
He advocates for a shift away from continuous arms purchases toward optimizing existing resources through better maintenance, restructuring security agencies, and enhancing inter-agency collaboration among the military, police, and intelligence services.
Such reforms, combined with strategic spending, could pave the way for a more sustainable and effective security framework in Nigeria.
