President Bola Tinubu has proposed N5.41 trillion for security in the 2026 budget, making it the single largest allocation.
Tinubu revealed this on Friday while presenting the N58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.
During the presentation, the president stated that national security remained the foundation of economic growth, investment and social stability.
Under Tinubu’s proposal, defence and security will receive N5.41tn, ahead of infrastructure, education and health, reaffirming a pattern established in the 2024 and 2025 budgets, where security got the highest sectoral funding amid terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in the country.
Speaking to lawmakers, Tinubu said, “Security remains the foundation of development,” adding that without peace and stability, other sectors of the economy would struggle to thrive.
“We will invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes because security spending must deliver security results,” Tinubu stated.
The president further shared that all armed groups operating outside state authority, including bandits, militias, kidnappers, armed gangs and violent cult groups, would henceforth be classified as terrorists, along with their financiers, informants and political or community enablers.
According to Tinubu, tougher classification was necessary to close legal and operational gaps that had allowed violent groups to thrive for years.
Credit: The Sun