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.
Committee Chairman Rep. Ahmad Satomi urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritise the sector in line with his administration’s security agenda during the 2026 budget defence session of agencies under the committee’s oversight.
Satomi acknowledged the ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly on Dec. 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, Satomi said legislative oversight ensures transparency and accountability, not antagonism. “Oversight does not mean witch-hunt. It ensures value for money and builds public trust in our men and women in the security services,” he said, warning against resistance by some agencies to parliamentary scrutiny.
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, citing inadequate releases under the 2025 budget. He appealed to the president to review funding and called for separate budgetary provisions for intelligence training institutions.
Satomi also 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.
