026 Budget: NASS Approves N1.504 Trillion for Army, Assures Strict Oversight on MDA Fund Releases

The Nigerian Army’s 2026 budget proposal of N1.504,251,069,722 trillion was praised by a joint National Assembly committee on Monday.

The Nigerian Army received assurances from the House Committee that it would make sure the approved funds were disbursed through efficient oversight of the proper authorities for the budget’s implementation.

This was declared by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, following a joint budget defense of the Joint Committee in Abuja with Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, the Chief of Army Staff.

“All members expressed satisfaction with the presentation made by the Chief of Army Staff following a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Army on the 2026 budget,” he said.

All members of the joint committee, however, concurred that the main problem is the funding release delay, which has an impact on all other MDAs.

However, I would like to reassure the Chief of Army Staff that we are dedicated to working with him to achieve success. We would provide you with all of your needs because the Army is so important to our country.

Hon. Aminu Balele, the chairman of the House Committee on Army, also spoke and praised the COAS and his officers and soldiers for their dedication to defending the country’s territorial integrity and fighting insurgency.

In order to allow the Army to fulfill its constitutional obligations, he said that his committee will keep advocating for the prompt availability of money.

Balele guarantees that the committee will carry out its oversight role with the highest level of accountability.

“I would want to express my gratitude to my Senate colleague, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, and his colleagues for working together on this national task as we wrap up the 2026 budget defense. I applaud the dedication and patriotism of the Chief of Army Staff and his staff.

“As the head of the House Committee on Army, I would like to thank Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for his steadfast support.” We are aware of the problems with budgeting, and we are prepared to press for the prompt availability of cash so that you can fulfill your obligations.

Another development is that Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, has asked for an increase in the N134.2 billion allocated to the Ministry for the fiscal year 2026.

This comes as the Senate’s Women Affairs committee expressed disapproval of the pitifully inadequate cash allocations made to the Ministry’s overhead and capital components of the 2025 budget.

During Monday’s budget defense session with the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, the Minister called for an upward revision of the 2026 budget plan for the Women Affairs Ministry.

She claims that the upward evaluation will assist the Ministry in putting programs into place that address the various issues that women face nationwide. “An upward review of budget estimates for the Ministry Women Affairs and and Social Development should be done in accordance with the plan and the need for more domestic allocations in the 2026 fiscal year,” she stated.

The committee’s chairman, Senator Ireti Kingibe (FCT), responded, however, that while the request was good, the executive branch should address the issue of inadequate funding releases first. The issue of financing is what we oppose, not a review of the amount allocated for your ministry in 2026. We are quite concerned about the releases of monies, as demonstrated in your recent presentations on budget appropriation and releases for your ministry in 2025. First, that issue needs to be resolved,” she stated.

The Minister stated earlier in her presentations on the 2025 budget’s performance and the 2026 predictions that just N394 million of the N89.8 billion allotted for capital expenditures had been released in December and had not even been used. Similar circumstances occurred with the disbursement of funds appropriated for our overhead in 2025, as just N471 million of the N2.8 billion appropriated was made available, she said.

A total of N134 2 billion was set aside for the ministry in 2026, she continued, with N2.1 billion going toward staff costs, N131.2 billion toward capital, and N810.9 million toward overhead expenses.