President Bola Tinubu has proposed N5.41 trillion for defence and security in the 2026 budget, the largest single allocation in the spending plan.
The proposal marks the third consecutive year security has taken priority in the Federal Government’s budget since the administration began presenting national estimates in November 2023.
Tinubu made this known on Friday while presenting the N58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, insisting that national security remains the foundation for economic growth, investment and social stability.
Under the proposal, defence and security would receive N5.41 trillion, ahead of infrastructure, education and health, underscoring a consistent budgetary pattern in 2024 and 2025 as the government intensifies efforts to curb terrorism, banditry and kidnapping nationwide.
“Security remains the foundation of development,” the President told lawmakers, noting that peace and stability are prerequisites for sustainable growth across all sectors.
Earlier in the day, the Federal Executive Council approved the 2026 budget framework at an emergency meeting presided over for the first time by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The council pegged total expenditure at N58.47 trillion, reflecting mounting pressures from debt servicing, personnel costs and security commitments.
Breaking down the proposal, Tinubu said the security allocation would fund the modernisation of the armed forces, intelligence-led policing, enhanced border surveillance and strengthened joint operations among security agencies.
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“We will invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes, because security spending must deliver security results,” he said.
The President also announced a major overhaul of Nigeria’s national security architecture, including the adoption of a new counter-terrorism doctrine built around unified command, coordinated intelligence and community-based stability.
Under the proposed framework, Tinubu said all armed groups operating outside state authority—bandits, militias, kidnappers, armed gangs and violent cult groups—would be designated as terrorists, alongside their financiers, informants and political or community enablers.
He said the tougher classification was necessary to close legal and operational loopholes that had allowed violent groups to flourish.
Beyond security, the 2026 budget proposes N3.56 trillion for infrastructure, N3.52 trillion for education and N2.48 trillion for health.
Tinubu acknowledged the strain on public finances but said the security-first approach was unavoidable.
“Without security, investment will not thrive. Without educated and healthy citizens, productivity will not rise. Without infrastructure, jobs and enterprise will not scale,” he said, linking the allocation to broader development objectives.
He urged lawmakers to support the proposal, describing the budget as a vehicle for consolidating recent economic gains and restoring public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.
