Recent reports emerging on Tuesday have revealed that the government of Nigeria has approved about N2.3 trillion in special funding for military operations and equipment over the last two fiscal cycles.
It was gathered that the N2.3 trillion special funding for the military was approved between October 2023 and September 2025.
According to official documents, the funds were disbursed to modernize the Nigerian Armed Forces, enhance intelligence capabilities, and provide the necessary tactical edge against insurgency and banditry.
The approval of the N2.3 trillion special funding for the military comes amid Nigeria’s mounting security crisis and international scrutiny.
Sources within the Ministry of Defence indicate that a substantial portion of this funding has already been utilized for the procurement of advanced drone technology, armored personnel carriers, and the upgrading of naval surveillance systems in the Gulf of Guinea.
Documents also revealed that the money was released in 23 equal tranches of N100 billion each under the “Ledger of Special Intervention Programme for Nigerian Military February, 2026.”
The records from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Federation Account Department, indicate that the intervention fund operated as a transit account, with each N100 billion receipt followed by a matching N100 billion disbursement, leaving no balance after payments were made.
The document opened with a brought-forward balance of N100bn as of October 19, 2023. On the same date, the account recorded the first transfer, described as “Transfer from September, 2023 Allocation 1/10,” worth N100bn. That inflow was followed on November 8, 2023, by a payment of N100bn to the military.
A breakdown of the documents also revealed that a second N100bn tranche, marked “Transfer from October, 2023 Allocation 2/10,” was received on November 20, 2023, and was paid out on December 20, 2023.
The first phase continued with “Transfer from November, 2023 Allocation 3/10” on December 20, 2023, after which the description of the beneficiary widened from the military alone to “Military and Paramilitary Agencies.” That same N100bn was paid out on December 20, 2023.
The fourth tranche, from the December 2023 allocation, came in on January 17, 2024, and was disbursed on February 2, 2024.
The fifth tranche, from the January 2024 allocation, was received on February 27, 2024, and paid on March 1, 2024.
Further entries show that the sixth tranche, from the February 2024 allocation, was received on March 20, 2024, and paid on April 12, 2024.
The seventh tranche, from the March 2024 allocation, came in on April 16, 2024, and was disbursed on April 25, 2024.
The eighth tranche, from the April 2024 allocation, was received on May 13, 2024, and paid on May 25, 2024.
The ninth tranche, from the May 2024 allocation, was credited on June 10, 2024, and paid on June 13, 2024.
The 10th tranche in the first phase, from the June 2024 allocation, was received on July 16, 2024, and paid on July 27, 2024.
This means the first phase alone accounted for N1tn, covering 10 allocations from September 2023 to June 2024.
The ledger then moved to a second phase, beginning with “Second Phase, Transfer from July, 2024 Allocation 1/10” on August 16, 2024. That tranche was paid out on August 27, 2024. The second phase continued with another N100bn from the August 2024 allocation on September 16, 2024, paid on September 26, 2024. A third N100bn from the September 2024 allocation was received on October 11, 2024, and paid on October 21, 2024.
A fourth, from the October 2024 allocation, was received on November 20, 2024, and paid on November 27, 2024. A fifth, from the November 2024 allocation, was recorded on December 13, 2024, and disbursed on December 17, 2024.
The second phase extended into 2025. The sixth tranche, from the December 2024 allocation, was received on January 17, 2025, and paid on February 17, 2025. The seventh, from the January 2025 allocation, came in on February 19, 2025. The corresponding payment was recorded on March 10, 2025.
The eighth tranche, from the February 2025 allocation, was received on March 19, 2025, and paid on March 28, 2025.
The ninth, from the March 2025 allocation, was received on April 15, 2025, and disbursed on April 24, 2025.
The 10th and final tranche in the second phase, from the April 2025 allocation, was received on May 16, 2025, and paid on June 3, 2025.
Like the first phase, the second phase also amounted to N1tn, again built on 10 equal tranches of N100bn each.
This development comes as the administration of President Bola Tinubu has been battling with several security challenges.
Despite the disbursement of funds to paramilitary agencies, the security crisis has persisted in the country.
Just on Sunday, armed terrorists stormed the Jos North area of Plateau State, killing scores of people.
The attack happened on Palm Sunday, just a week before Easter Celebrations.
Recall that Nigeria has been labelled as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by United States President Donald Trump over allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria.
Since the development, the Nigerian government and the U.S government have been working to solve the security crisis.
This also includes the bombing of the ISIS enclave on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025.
