Overview of the 2026 Budget Presentation
On 19th December, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the 2026 budget to the joint National Assembly. The appropriation bill, titled ‘Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity’, outlines a total revenue of N34.33 trillion and total expenditure of N58.18 trillion, resulting in a fiscal deficit of N23.85 trillion, which is 4.28 percent of the GDP.
The budget highlights several key areas, with security and education being among the most significant allocations. The capital expenditure is estimated at N26.08 trillion, while the total expenditure is N15.25 trillion.
Allocated Budget for Security
Security has become one of the most pressing concerns for Nigerians. Reports of kidnappings, mass killings, and abductions are frequently highlighted across various media platforms. This issue not only affects citizens within Nigeria but also draws attention from foreigners who have been following developments in the West African nation.
Without adequate security, the fundamental right to existence is at risk. In response to this challenge, security has been identified as the top priority in the budget. Approximately N5.41 trillion has been allocated for the national security and defense sector.
The 2026 Appropriation figures for agencies under the Ministry of Defence provide a detailed breakdown of personnel, overhead, and capital allocations across 23 institutions in the sector. Here is the full breakdown:
- Nigerian Army: Personnel allocation of N1,254,578,791,788; overhead of N81,905,650,221; capital expenditure of N167,766,827,712; total allocation of N1,504,251,269,721.
- Nigerian Navy: Personnel allocation of N322,906,426,508; overhead of N49,232,066,996; capital expenditure of N71,778,216,357; total allocation of N443,916,709,861.
- Nigerian Air Force: Personnel allocation of N229,897,541,932; overhead of N68,575,453,013; capital expenditure of N110,674,045,165; total allocation of N409,147,040,110.
- Defence Headquarters: Personnel allocation of N224,660,197,422; overhead of N7,782,107,884; capital expenditure of N24,571,726,934; total allocation of N257,014,032,240.
- Training and Doctrine Command, Nigerian Army: Personnel allocation of N102,409,015,650; overhead of N674,031,225; capital expenditure of N9,350,253,111; total allocation of N112,433,299,986.
- Defence Missions: Personnel allocation of N58,567,622,416; overhead of N21,471,963,508; capital expenditure of N3,504,432,160; total allocation of N83,544,018,084.
- Defence Intelligence Agency: Personnel allocation of N48,373,656,796; overhead of N12,101,384,418; capital expenditure of N8,323,010,975; total allocation of N68,798,052,189.
- Ministry of Defence Headquarters: Personnel allocation of N17,331,327,040; overhead of N8,922,209,777; capital expenditure of N14,982,170,035; total allocation of N41,235,706,852.
- Nigerian Defence Academy: Personnel allocation of N30,893,377,642; overhead of N5,949,039,012; capital expenditure of N3,562,822,613; total allocation of N40,405,039,267.
- Defence Space Administration: Personnel allocation of N25,222,203,651; overhead of N6,501,615,667; capital expenditure of N8,297,979,460; total allocation of N40,021,798,778.
- Command and Staff College, Jaji: Personnel allocation of N11,223,536,424; overhead of N12,219,368,924; capital expenditure of N12,448,495,467; total allocation of N35,891,400,815.
- National Defence College: Personnel allocation of N12,700,432,490; overhead of N10,893,699,713; capital expenditure of N5,675,983,243; total allocation of N29,270,115,446.
- Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna: Personnel allocation of N14,420,483,973; overhead of N804,372,224; capital expenditure of N1,969,395,644; total allocation of N17,194,251,841.
- Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Lagos: Personnel allocation of N9,827,500,705; overhead of N1,178,506,568; capital expenditure of N2,172,216,082; total allocation of N13,178,223,355.
- Defence Space School, Orogun, Delta State: Personnel allocation of N8,572,116,049; overhead of N1,000,000,000; capital expenditure of N1,400,000,000; total allocation of N10,972,116,049.
- Admiralty University of Nigeria, Ibusa, Delta State: Personnel allocation of N4,724,432,284; overhead of N1,506,194,768; capital expenditure of N3,177,045,366; total allocation of N9,407,672,418.
- Defence Research and Development Bureau: Personnel allocation of N5,603,931,682; overhead of N1,378,101,487; capital expenditure of N2,363,068,162; total allocation of N9,345,102,331.
- National Hydrographic Agency: Personnel allocation of N5,009,410,835; overhead of N1,506,194,768; capital expenditure of N2,827,045,367; total allocation of N9,342,650,970.
- Air Power Centre of Excellence: Personnel allocation of N4,756,119,286; overhead of N1,999,999,998; capital expenditure of N2,000,000,000; total allocation of N8,756,119,284.
- Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON): Personnel allocation of N3,905,545,357; overhead of N774,174,124; capital expenditure of N2,973,596,173; total allocation of N7,653,315,654.
- Defence Intelligence School: No personnel allocation; overhead of N2,101,726,882; capital expenditure of N2,418,399,577; total allocation of N4,520,126,459.
- Defence Intelligence Agency Civilian Pensions Board: No personnel or overhead allocation; capital expenditure of N1,400,000,000; total allocation of N1,400,000,000.
- Military Pension Board: No personnel allocation; overhead of N556,012,285; capital expenditure of N838,426,276; total allocation of N1,394,438,561.
Overall, the Ministry of Defence has a personnel allocation of N2,392,883,869,930, overhead of N297,034,773,462, and capital expenditure of N464,474,756,899. The total allocation for the sector in 2026 stands at N3,154,393,400,291.
Allocated Budget for Education
The 2026 allocated budget for the education sector is approximately N3.52 trillion. This includes interventions such as federal universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, basic education initiatives, and targeted programs like school feeding and scholarships.
According to reports, universities receive the largest share of the N2.4 trillion allocated to the education ministry. During the review of the 2025 budget implementation and consideration of the 2026 projections, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa emphasized that rollover provisions were designed to ensure continuity and completion of critical education projects nationwide.
He noted that budgetary allocations must translate into tangible outcomes that directly impact teaching, research, and learning environments across institutions.
According to the breakdown, universities are to receive N966.9 billion — the largest share of the proposed education budget — while N382 billion has been earmarked for polytechnics and colleges of education. Education parastatals are expected to get N633.3 billion, while N257.9 billion is allocated for the Ministry’s headquarters operations.
Federal Unity Colleges will receive N155 billion, while N10.3 billion has been set aside to meet Nigeria’s international obligations, including contributions to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The funding aims to strengthen and empower the educational sector, improve the quality of learning, and provide conducive learning environments across all institutions of learning.
The scale of Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis remains deeply alarming. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an estimated 10.2 million children of primary school age are currently out of school in Nigeria. At the secondary level, the situation is equally troubling, as about 8.1 million children and adolescents of secondary school age are not enrolled.
This includes roughly 25 per cent of children of junior secondary school age and 34 per cent of those of senior secondary school age who are outside the classroom.
Beyond access, the crisis extends to learning outcomes. Data from the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 2021) show that many children who are enrolled in school are not acquiring foundational skills. Only 27 per cent of schoolchildren aged 7–14 years possess basic reading skills, while just 25 per cent demonstrate basic numeracy skills.
Taken together, these figures paint a picture that millions of Nigerian children are either excluded from the education system entirely or are enrolled without gaining essential literacy and numeracy competencies.
The challenge, therefore, is not only about getting children into classrooms, but also ensuring that they are safe, retained, and meaningful learning takes place once they are there.
