…Opening CBN’s vaults to security agencies won’t help, unless… – HURIWA
Nigerians have called for strategic approach towards tackling the spate of insecurity in the country, saying that increased budgetary allocation alone may not be the answer.
According to observers, without the political will to end the high-level insurgency and general insecurity in the country, the entire budget of 2025 may not be enough to tame the scourge.
Many say that experience in the past has shown that huge budgetary allocation without proper accountability had failed to curb the security threat facing the country across all regions.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last Wednesday, during the presentation of the budget before the National Assembly, said that the administration was earmarking N4.91tn for defence and security for the 2025 fiscal year.
However, there were those who doubted if the huge budgetary allocation would solve any problem, arguing that expenditure of the past budgets for defence and security was controversial as accountability has always been a major issue.
They noted that the chunk of security allocation in recent years was not accounted for, as it was not used to buy necessary equipment, arms and machines for security officers to fight insurgency.
There have been unverified allegations surrounding the corruption around security spends, with many Nigerians saying that there has been diversion of appropriated funds for personal use.
“I don’t believe in those figures; it keeps going up every year, me and you know that large chunk of that money is not used to fight insecurity or buy needed arms, they end up in some people’s pockets and that is why we are where we are today,” Ben Odutoye, a public affair analyst, said.
According to him, “The widespread insecurity across Nigeria is worrisome; no one is safe, this yuletide period, many people are afraid to travel.
“Those travelling are fasting as they get into the road. It is not just to budget huge figures there should be accountability.”
Upon assumption of office about a year-and-half ago, President Tinubu had promised to make security the top priority of his administration.
This was perhaps, in view of the security challenges the country encountered in the past administration of Muhammadu Buhari.
The President said among other things, that his administration would provide security personnel with better training, equipment, pay and fire power.
One-and-half-years down the line, not many would give the President a pass mark in the fight against insecurity.
For many Nigerians, not much has changed since Tinubu assumed office; the security issues that plagued the country in the preceding administration is still there.
Read also: Tinubu, Shettima to spend N8.74 billion on local, international trips in 2025
Kidnapping for ransom is more; insurgency in the North East is still a recurring issue, while the South East is still volatile.
The rise in violent crimes, characterised by terrorism, banditry, herdsmen attacks and rampant kidnappings, has continued to raise critical questions about the effectiveness of the country’s defence strategies, despite substantial incremental budgetary allocations over the years.
There are even more concerns about how criminals brazenly use sophisticated means such as mobile phones and bank accounts to facilitate their operations without fear of being apprehended.
Change of approach needed
Nigeria’s security budgets have increased substantially in the last 64 years, but the security situation has deteriorated in the recent times.
Military budgets alone jumped by over 1,900 percent between 1960 and 2023, but terrorism and threats to Nigeria’s sovereignty escalated over the period.
Nigeria’s military expenditure stood at $23.4 million in 1960 but rose to $4.47 billion in 2021, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a conflict-focused research organisation.
Between 2019 and 2023, Nigeria reportedly lost nearly 25,000 citizens to violence, with kidnappings becoming increasingly prevalent across regions previously considered safe, like the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Lagos.
Security analysts noted that for result to come, security budget and its implementation must be audited to identify inefficiencies and corruption.
The experts called for regular audits, citizen participation and whistle-blower protection to improve transparency and accountability.
“The issue with our insecurity in Nigeria I think goes beyond budgeting huge money to the Defence Ministry, what have they done with past money budgeted?
“Previous administration talked about putting drones on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, but that plan was never implemented.
“For me, the security agencies need better oversight and coordination. These measures can improve the impact of security budgets in Nigeria,” Tayo Wusu, security analyst and researcher, said.
Address causes of insecurity
Some experts equally advised that there was the need for Nigeria to address the socio-economic factors that contribute to insecurity. The country needs job creation, poverty alleviation and inclusive economic growth, particularly in areas affected by insurgency and insecurity.
Also, investment in education, healthcare and infrastructure will create opportunities that discourage criminal activities.
They further stated that inclusive governance is essential for peaceful coexistence and a sense of belonging.
“The government must also address the lingering crisis of displacement and occupation in the Middle Belt, and the secession agitation in the South-East,” Wusu said.
Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), said that the growing insecurity in Nigeria was not necessarily due to lack of funding but rather deeper institutional challenges.
He cited 2019 when N75 billion was allocated for ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ (now Operation Hadin Kai) to combat insurgency in the North-East, alongside N159.10 billion for capital projects.
He also noted several other fundings by the government to boost military hardware, including the approval of $1billion from the Excess Crude Account in 2018 for the procurement of 12 Tucano fighter jets, and a supplementary budget of N982.72 billion in 2021 for military equipment.
Aside from these allocations, state governors have been accused of mismanaging their annual security votes running into billions of naira, which are opaquely run and have raised calls for reform and better oversight of these funds.
“The problems facing the security architecture in Nigeria are not financial but institutional,” Onwubiko insisted.
“Opening the vaults of the Central Bank of Nigeria to the security agencies would not make a difference unless these internal issues are tackled head-on,” he said.
He also raised the issue of discipline and professionalism among security agents, citing instances of human rights abuses that have eroded public trust.
Others who spoke said the rise in systemic issues such as bad governance, poverty, and youth unemployment fuelled the recruitment of individuals into these criminal enterprises.
Equally, many Nigerians pointed to the complicity of state institutions and political actors as a significant barrier to effective security responses.
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