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- Nigeria has spent a total of N776.9 billion on arms and ammunition purchase between 2020 and Q1 2025
- Data shows defence spending surged sharply in 2023 and 2024 reaching N520.02 billion amid rising insecurity
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Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
The National Bureau of Statistics has revealed that Nigeria has spent over N777 billion on importing arms and ammunition between 2020 and the first half of 2025
The figures captured in the foreign trade report for Q2 2025 showed a consistent year-on-year increase, reflecting the rising insecurity across the country.
Photo: Nigeran Army
Source: Getty Images
Breakdown of amount spent on import
NBS data shows that in 2020, Nigeria spent N29.24 billion on arms and ammunition, which surged to N72.50 billion in 2021.
Spending fell slightly to N28.24 billion in 2022, before jumping to N127.16 billion in 2023.
The largest annual expenditure was in 2024, when imports reached N520.02 billion, marking the highest arms import bill in recent years.
Data for the first half of 2025 shows that Nigeria has already spent N26.95 billion on imported arms.
A quarterly breakdown reveals:
- Jan–Mar 2020: N29.24 billion
- Jan–Mar 2021: N72.50 billion
- Jan–Mar 2022: N28.24 billion
- Jan–Mar 2023: N127.16 billion
- Jan–Mar 2024: N520.02 billion
- First half of 2025: N26.95 billion
Photo: Presidency
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria defence spending
BudgIT’s latest report highlights how Nigeria plans to allocate its N6.57 trillion 2025 Security and Defence Budget. The report raises the question: Where is the money going?
Of the total budget, N4.07 trillion is earmarked for personnel costs, N1.50 trillion for capital expenditure, and N642.55 billion for overheads.
The allocation to specific agencies and departments is as follows:
- Defence: N3.10 trillion
- Ministry of Police Affairs: N1.31 trillion
- Interior (Immigration, Civil Defence, etc.): N1.11 trillion
- Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA): N690.84 billion
- Service-wide Votes: N638.34 billion
- Police Service Commission: N2.56 billion
Nigeria security challenges
Nigeria faces severe security challenges, including terrorism from groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping, particularly in the Northwest, as well as separatist agitations like IPOB in the Southeast.
These security threats have significantly increased pressure on the country’s military and security agencies, necessitating higher spending on personnel, equipment, and operations.
‘How to end Nigeria’s insecurity in 6 months’
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that General Ishola Williams (retd.), the former chief of Defence Training and Planning, has expressed confidence in Nigeria overcoming the insecurity challenges in the country within six months.
The former military general disclosed that the government did not have to keep buying weapons, adding that “all these problems can be solved within six months. Reorganise the security agencies.”
He stressed the need to maintain the weapons Nigeria currently have in its military arsenal in the fight against the criminal elements in the country.
Source: Legit.ng
