The Federal Government spent about N74.96 billion on arms, ammunition, and military equipment between 2023 and 2025, according to data from GovSpend, a platform that tracks public expenditure.
A breakdown of the figures shows that spending rose significantly from N33.30 billion in 2023 to N40.84 billion in 2024, before dropping sharply to N819.46 million in 2025. The 2024 expenditure alone accounted for more than half of the total spending within the period.
In 2023, the Ministry of Defence Nigeria and the armed forces dominated procurement activities. The ministry recorded major payments for ammunition purchases, including N9.17 billion in November and another N6.89 billion later the same month.
The Nigerian Army also made large transactions, including billions spent on ammunition, arms, and a surveillance attack aircraft. Similarly, the Nigerian Navy spent billions on arms procurement during the year.
Other security agencies were also involved. Defence Headquarters, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Correctional Service, and the National Park Headquarters all recorded varying levels of spending on weapons and operational equipment.
Spending surged further in 2024, largely driven by bulk purchases by the Ministry of Defence. On July 26 alone, the ministry recorded five payments totalling over N33 billion for critical military equipment, highlighting a concentration of major procurement within a short period.
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Other agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Immigration Service, also increased spending on arms and operational tools during the year.
In contrast, 2025 recorded a significant drop, with only limited transactions captured, mostly linked to the NDLEA’s procurement of arms and anti-riot equipment.
Overall, the data indicates that while multiple agencies were involved in arms procurement, the bulk of spending was driven by the Ministry of Defence, particularly in 2024 when large-scale acquisitions dominated.
However, the figures only reflect transactions explicitly classified under arms and military equipment, suggesting that the total security spending by the government during the period could be much higher.
