Government Allocates ₦525bn for Security: Can This Funding Curb the Rising Killings?

 Government allocates ₦525bn for Security: Can This Funding Curb the Rising Killings?

Over the previous three years (2023-2025), state governments in Nigeria have allocated ₦525.23 billion for security-related spending in response to ongoing incidents of kidnapping, mass killings, banditry, and criminal violence. The data, derived from 32 states' approved budget documents, show a significant rise in resources earmarked to combat insecurity, but the essential issue remains: Has the money brought peace?

What the numbers reveal

An analysis of the available budgets demonstrates that Nigerian governments considerably boosted security spending over three consecutive years:

2023: ₦150.47bn

2024: ₦164.07bn

2025: ₦210.68 billion, a 40% increase in just two years.

These funds are meant to support internal security operations, intelligence gathering, crisis response, fast mobilization, and emergency interventions. Some states, notably those most affected by violence, accounted for disproportionate shares of the total:

Borno State: ₦57.40 billion.

Anambra: ₦42.57 billion.

Delta: ₦38.44 billion.

Benue: ₦36.87 billion, among others.

However, as the funds have increased, so has the violence.

Security is deteriorating despite rising expenditure.

Despite strong security votes at the state and federal levels, instability persists. This reflects a longer-term national trend, with up to 2,819 abductions and over 1,123 recorded injuries across 428 local government areas in just the first three months of 2025.

Critics claim that the funds are not converting into concrete safety improvements. One civil society voice spoke bluntly:

"What are they doing about the security vote? "Don't we still have killings in the North?" – emphasizing widespread public dissatisfaction.

The main fear is that significant sums of money are being allocated without clear accountability or tangible results on the ground.

Security Budgets: Federal vs. State Priorities

Security spending is not exclusive to states. The federal government has also invested significant resources in national defence and security agencies:

The 2026 federal budget proposal allocates ₦5.41 trillion for defence and security, making it the highest sectoral spending line in the ₦58.18 trillion national budget. President Bola Tinubu characterized it as critical to restoring peace and stability amidst rising violence.

Despite these staggering figures, numerous evaluations reveal that the share of national resources allocated to security has not kept up with escalating violence in many locations.

Why Money May Not Be Enough.

1. Lack of clear accountability.

Security votes are frequently opaque, with little public transparency over how or where monies are spent. This raises concerns that funds may be misdirected or misused without creating measurable safety results.

2. Structural Problems in Security Architecture

Nigeria's security architecture suffers from coordination gaps, inadequate intelligence systems, and equipment and training shortages, which money alone may not remedy without structural reform. National budget disputes have even exposed underfunded intelligence sub-sectors, despite significant total budgets.

3. Root Causes of Violence.

Experts now recognize that insecurity is more than just a law-and-order issue. Poverty, unemployment, social marginalisation, and economic hardship exacerbate conflict dynamics. Security strategists emphasize that without addressing these underlying reasons, security spending will not be sufficient to prevent violence.

4. Misaligned spending priorities.

Some places appear to devote large resources to "security" even as fundamental infrastructure and services deteriorate, raising public concerns about spending efficacy and priorities.

Experts and Public Voices Weigh In

Labour and civil society organizations have reiterated calls for increased accountability and focused action:

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has advised states and local governments to take a more proactive approach because they are closer to communities and better understand local security dynamics than distant federal entities. 

Community advocates and people are asking tougher questions:

"Security votes should empower communities and frontline responders, but people continue to live in fear."

The Way Forward: More Than Just Funds

Experts say that Nigeria requires a multi-layered strategy, including:

Transparent reporting and auditing for security funds

Invest in local intelligence and fast reaction units.

Community-Based Policing and Engagement

Integration of socioeconomic interventions to minimize crime incentives.

Money can help these efforts, but without accountability and direction, billions of security votes may have little impact on the ground.

Conclusion: Resource Investment Is Not Enough.

The ₦525 billion allocated by state governments highlights the gravity of Nigeria's security crisis. However, the continued occurrence of killings and abductions implies that budget increases alone are insufficient. Unless expenditure results in effective, transparent, and community-responsive security measures, Nigerians' lives may continue to be jeopardized even as budgets rise.

Spending must be coordinated with strategy, accountability, and broader socioeconomic improvements. Only then will the finances be able to provide Nigerians with the much-needed peace and security.