Nigeria Spends N74.96bn on Arms, Military Equipment in Two Years

The Federal Government of Nigeria spent no fewer than N74.96bn on arms, ammunition, and military equipment between 2023 and 2025, according to data from GovSpend, a civic tech platform tracking public expenditure.

The figures, obtained from procurement records, show that military spending peaked in 2024 at N40.84bn, up from N33.30bn recorded in 2023, before dropping significantly to N819.46m in 2025 based on available entries.

This represents an increase of N7.54bn—about 22.6 per cent—between 2023 and 2024, with 2024 accounting for more than half of the total spending within the period under review.

Defence Ministry, Armed Forces Lead Spending

An analysis of the 2023 expenditure shows that the Ministry of Defence Nigeria and the armed forces dominated procurement activities.

The ministry alone recorded N9.17bn for ammunition purchases on November 7, 2023, and an additional N6.89bn on November 21 for similar contracts. Statutory deductions linked to these procurements exceeded N102m.

Major Military Procurements

The Nigerian Army also carried out significant transactions in 2023, including N4.41bn for ammunition, N2.88bn for arms, and N2.77bn for the acquisition of a surveillance attack aircraft.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy spent N1bn in August and N5bn in December on arms and ammunition procurement.

Other security agencies also recorded notable spending within the period.

Spending Trends Raise Questions

While the sharp increase in 2024 reflects heightened investment in security infrastructure, the steep decline in 2025 raises questions about budget execution and the completeness of available data.

The figures come amid ongoing security challenges across parts of Nigeria, where military operations continue to require sustained funding and modern equipment.