Nigeria Pumps N5 Trillion into Military Operations

The Nigerian government disbursed N5.15tn in special intervention funds to the military and security agencies between November 2023 and September 2026 to combat persistent terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.

Documents from the Federation Account Allocation Committee reveal that the government directed N5.65tn into a dedicated account and spent 91.15 per cent of these funds across 30 separate transactions.

Financed through the Federation Account, non-oil revenue, and withheld allocations, these releases provide supplementary funding beyond standard defence budgets.

While initial funding maintained a regular pace of N100bn monthly throughout 2024, the Nigerian government escalated disbursements significantly in 2026.

Individual transfers surged to between N200bn and N500bn, pushing 2026 disbursements alone to N2.75tn—more than the combined total released over the previous two years.

Despite this massive capital injection, severe security threats persist, destroying livelihoods and displacing agricultural communities across the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions.

To address the evolving crisis, the Nigerian government launched a comprehensive review of its 2019 National Security Strategy.

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu inaugurated a specialised committee to draft the National Security Strategy 2026, which will target traditional violence alongside emerging threats like cybercrime, food insecurity, and climate change.

Officials emphasised that the updated framework will align national defence directly with economic development and human security.