Nigeria is pouring billions into its security sector with no visible results, all the while sinking further into recession.
- The government increased the budget allocation for the security sector by 11.3% for 2021;
- Nigeria ranks second in death recorded from terrorism;
- Nigeria’s military expenditure one of the highest in Africa;
- Expert charges the government to monitor security expenditure.
Despite the economic uncertainty around the new normal, Federal Government (FG) increased the capital expenditure budget for security, 2021. The budget which was ₦190.65 billion in 2020 now futures an 11.3% spike to ₦212.32bn for the following year. The projected sum per data from the Budget Office of the Federation is part of the expected total ₦12.65 trillion capital expenditure ceiling for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
It seems of all the MDAs in the security sector, only the police force featured a decrease in its budget. And while the ministry of finance failed to explain the modalities around the expenditure ceilings, the allocations were reportedly in tandem with Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP); a plan prefaced on an effective and appropriate response to COVID-19-ensued challenges.
The storied history of the security sector
In the last 10 years, Nigeria has reportedly spent ₦6trn on security without making much headway. In fact, the latest figures from the global terrorism Index (2019) ranked Nigeria as the third-worst country exposed to terrorism with no improvement recorded since 2017.
Further, among countries with similar security challenges, Nigeria’s death toll from terrorism increased. Save Afghanistan, the total number of deaths in Iraq, Somalia, and Syria fell.
Dataphyte recently published analysis has also shown the devastating effect of terrorism in the country.
Only last year, the United Nations (UN) Country Director to Nigeria, Edward Kallon lamented the spate of killings in Nigeria; there are over 1,400 casualties from kidnapping and banditry within six months.
Nigeria had the second-largest military budget in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2019
And when Nigeria’s army chief, Tukur Buarati, requested for the cap on military spending to be removed, we found out Nigeria had the second-largest security budget in Sub-Saharan Africa. Per the Amry Chief’s request, the funding would aid in the fight against terrorism. However, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed that Nigeria’s $1.9 billion military allocations were only second to South Africa’s $3.5 billion and Algeria’s military expenditure of $10.3 billion.
Budget vs management
The above raises the question of funding versus management. Already, many have raised concerns on the opaqueness enshrouding funding to Nigeria’s security parastatals. Given the apparent infrastructural deficit in the sector, where does the money go?
Dr Temitope Abiodun, in his research paper titled Defence Budget and Military Spending on War against Terror and Insecurity in Nigeria, had argued that sound financial management of a state’s security sector remains the key to efficient and effective security forces capable of responding to the citizens’ legitimate security.
“Nigerian military spending in the last decade is quite high and in most cases unnecessary and poses dangerous threats to national security in all ramifications. That is the reason northeast Nigeria has remained engulfed in Boko Haram attacks more than a decade.”
His study further revealed how the Nigerian government over the years has continued to increase its budgetary allocations to the defence or military institutions in the last decade.
Yet, despite appreciable budgetary allocations to defence, the government and security agencies continue to blame the situation on the shortage of equipment and personnel.
Expert speak
“The money is not even enough when compared to how much security votes other countries with fewer security issues have. I think the major problem is allowing a few people to divert funds,” Ademola Adeshina, a security expert in Lagos said.
“The need to increase funding on security can be justified, the life of a human is irreplaceable and the stability of the country, but the major challenge is what are the monitoring mechanisms in place to check how the funds are spent because chances are some few persons could be taking advantage on the security issues in the country.”
Adeshina, however, canvassed for more alternative sources of funding for security activities rather than the allocations from the government.
Already there is a ‘Nigerian Armed Forces Support Fund Bill’ which passed for second reading at the National assembly. The bill seeks to create a five-year funding plan for the Nigerian Armed Forces outside the annual budgetary allocations.
Furthermore, Nigerians will apparently fund this bill. And funding will go to the training of agents and purchasing of modern security equipment; all to the revamping of the Nigerian armed forces.
A good initiative on paper no less, but Nigerians will have to wait for implementation should the bill scale through.