Security dominated President Bola Tinubu’s 2026 budget proposal on Friday as he set aside ₦5.41 trillion for defence and internal security, the highest allocation to any sector in the fiscal plan. The move comes amid persistent insecurity and growing public concern across the country.
Presenting the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity” to a joint session of the National Assembly, Tinubu said the size of the security vote reflected his administration’s determination to restore peace and stabilise the nation after years of banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and communal violence.
The President disclosed that his government was undertaking a major reset of the national security architecture, alongside the introduction of a new counter-terrorism doctrine focused on unified command, intelligence-led operations and community-based stability.
He announced a tougher stance on violence, declaring that all armed groups operating outside the authority of the state would now be classified as terrorists.
“Henceforth, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actor operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists,” Tinubu said, listing bandits, militias, armed gangs, kidnappers and violent cult groups, as well as their financiers and political or community enablers.
He warned that the government would no longer tolerate any group wielding lethal weapons outside state control.
The declaration comes against the backdrop of renewed attacks in parts of the North-West and North-Central, lingering insurgency in the North-East and rising fears over organised criminal networks, all of which have disrupted farming, trade and investment.
Beyond security, Tinubu said the 2026 budget was designed to strengthen key pillars of growth. Under the proposal, ₦3.56 trillion is allocated to infrastructure, ₦3.52 trillion to education and ₦2.48 trillion to health.
“No nation can grow beyond the quality of its people,” he said, citing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which has so far supported more than 418,000 students in tertiary institutions nationwide.
He added that health spending represents about six per cent of the total budget, excluding liabilities, and noted that recent engagements with the United States government had unlocked access to over $500 million in grant funding for targeted health programmes.
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Tinubu Sets Aside N5.41tn for Security in 2026 Budget
On the economy, the President reaffirmed his administration’s focus on agricultural reforms, increased mechanisation, irrigation and agro-value chains, stressing that food security remains a critical national priority.
As he concluded his address, Tinubu described the 2026 budget as a test of delivery rather than promises, especially at a time of heightened scrutiny over budget implementation.
“The greatest budget is not the one we announce. It is the one we deliver,” he said, pledging stronger revenue generation, disciplined spending and improved accountability across government.
