2026 Budget: Reps criticise ‘abysmal’ intelligence funding, demand greater accountability

2026-02-18 - 15:06

By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja The House Committee on National Security and Intelligence has raised concerns over what it described as “abysmal” funding for Nigeria’s intelligence subsector in the proposed 2026 budget. Chairman of the committee, Rep. Ahmad Satomi, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritise the sector in line with his administration’s security agenda, speaking during the 2026 budget defence session of agencies under the committee’s oversight. Satomi acknowledged the presentation of the ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly on December 19, 2025, noting allocations of ₦5.41 trillion for defence and security, ₦3.56 trillion for infrastructure, ₦3.52 trillion for education, and ₦2.48 trillion for health. While commending the President’s focus on national security as key to development and stability, he emphasised that legislative oversight is meant to ensure transparency and accountability, not hostility. “Oversight does not mean antagonism or witch-hunt. It ensures value for money and builds public trust in our men and women in the security services,” Satomi said. He also warned against resistance by some security agencies to parliamentary scrutiny. According to the lawmaker, the total allocation for the intelligence subsector—which includes the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the Presidential Air Fleet, and the National Institute for Security Studies—stands at ₦664.1 billion for 2026. This covers ₦245.94 billion for personnel, ₦131.27 billion for overhead, and ₦286.90 billion for capital projects. “These allocations are indeed very abysmal and do not seem to match the intent of the President’s speech to the Joint Session of the National Assembly,” Satomi said, highlighting that inadequate releases under the 2025 budget further weaken the sector. He appealed to the President to review funding for intelligence agencies to enable them effectively discharge their mandates. The lawmaker also called for separate budgetary provisions for intelligence training institutions, citing oversight visits to DSS and NIA training facilities in Bauchi, Lagos, Enugu, and planned visits to Kaduna, Kogi, and Cross River states. Satomi commended the National Assembly for enacting key security laws, including amendments to the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, but stressed the need for full implementation. “As we deliberate on the 2026 budget proposal, this committee assures Nigerians of our commitment to supporting intelligence agencies. Our efforts must be collaborative and complementary to deliver a safe and secure country,” he said, expressing optimism that the 2026 fiscal year would deliver measurable results in the security sector.