The Federal Government has spent an additional N14 billion on military equipment between September and October 2024, bringing the total expenditure on arms and ammunition to N77.6 billion in the first 10 months of the year.
Tracking Defence Expenditures
Data from GovSpend, a civic technology platform monitoring government expenditures, reveals significant investments in military hardware by the Ministry of Defence and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Between January and July 2024, the government disbursed N63.6 billion for equipment and ammunition purchases.
- April 16, 2024: N990 million was paid to Equipment and Protective Applications International Limited for ammunition procurement.
- April 22, 2024: N941 million was spent on light tactical armored vehicles, heavy anti-mine vehicles, and ammunition for the Armed Forces.
- July 2, 2024: N3.2 billion went towards bullet-resistant guard booths with surveillance capacity and proximity detectors for the Armed Forces.
- July 26, 2024: N33 billion was released in five tranches for urgent military operational equipment.
- July 27, 2024: N3 billion was allocated for operational support, marking the completion of the 2023 supplementary appropriation.
- July 31, 2024: N22 billion was paid to ONSA for critical military equipment.
Recent Spending: September–October 2024
- September 13: The Ministry of Defence released N4 billion for “critical combat equipment.”
- October 9: The Nigerian Air Force made two payments: N5.2 billion and N1.2 billion for defence equipment.
- October 23: The Ministry of Defence allocated an additional N4 billion for equipment procurement.
Historical Arms Expenditure
Between 2020 and 2023, the Federal Government spent N231.27 billion on arms procurement through the Defence Ministry and other security agencies. Key budget allocations included:
- N11.72 billion in 2020.
- N10.78 billion in 2021.
- N9.64 billion in 2022.
- N47.02 billion plus a supplementary N184.25 billion in 2023.
Additionally, N115 billion was expended on the importation of arms and ammunition during the same period.
Defence Leadership’s Justification
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, defended the substantial military budgets while addressing the House of Representatives in 2023. He argued that ammunition and equipment costs appear high because they are denominated in dollars, as Nigeria lacks domestic manufacturing capabilities for military hardware.
This ongoing investment underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s defence and addressing security challenges. However, it also raises questions about transparency and the effective utilization of resources in the defence sector.
About the Author
