President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has committed to a fundamental reset of Nigeria's security apparatus, designating the largest portion of government expenditure to defence in the newly presented budget. The announcement was made during his budget presentation to the National Assembly on Friday, December 19, 2025.
A New Architecture for National Security
Facing intense scrutiny over the handling of the country's multiple security crises, President Tinubu outlined a robust plan to overhaul the nation's approach to internal conflict. He declared that his administration plans to significantly boost security spending to enhance the "fighting capability" of the military and other security agencies.
This enhancement will be achieved through the mass recruitment of new police and military personnel, a process he ordered last month following a nationwide security emergency declaration. The move was largely a response to a spate of mass abductions, including the kidnapping of hundreds of children from their boarding schools.
Furthermore, Tinubu promised substantial investment in "cutting-edge" equipment and hardware to modernize the nation's security forces. The financial backbone for this ambitious plan is a colossal 5.41 trillion naira (approximately $3.7 billion) allocation specifically for defence and security in the upcoming budget.
Redefining Terrorism: A Broad New Stance
In a pivotal shift, President Tinubu vowed to "usher in a new era of criminal justice" by redefining all violence perpetrated by armed groups operating outside state authority as acts of terrorism. This new policy casts a wide net over the various armed factions destabilizing the country.
"Under this new architecture, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists," Tinubu stated explicitly. He named several groups that would fall under this classification:
- Bandits terrorizing the northwest
- Militias and armed gangs
- Armed robbers and violent cult groups
- Foreign-linked mercenaries
He further clarified that individuals involved in political or sectarian violence would also be classified as terrorists. This stance comes as security officials and analysts warn of an increasing alliance between northwestern bandits and jihadist factions from the northeast, who have expanded their influence into central regions.
Economic Context and Projections
While security dominated the address, President Tinubu also addressed the nation's economic challenges. He defended his administration's "necessary" but not "painless" reforms, which have contributed to Nigeria's most severe economic crisis in a generation.
On a positive note, he reported that inflation has "moderated" for eight consecutive months, dropping to 14.45 percent in the most recent month from a high of 24.23 percent in March 2025. Looking ahead, Tinubu projected that the budget deficit would decrease next year to 4.28 percent of GDP, down from around 6.1 percent in 2023, the year he assumed office.
The president's budget speech underscores a dual focus: confronting immediate and existential security threats head-on while managing the long-term economic recovery. The success of this high-stakes strategy, particularly the massive security investment and its new legal framework, will be closely watched by a nation weary of conflict.
