Nigeria's ₦5.41tn Defence Budget Justified by Musa

On Thursday, Nigeria's Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa, defended the ₦5.41 trillion allocated for defence and security in the 2026 federal budget during an appearance on Channels Television's *Politics Today*. Musa argued that modern warfare is costly, and the budget, when converted to US dollars, is not as substantial as it seems.

He provided specific costs for military equipment, noting that a Tomahawk missile costs $3.2 million and a precision drone bomb is approximately $100,000, equating to about ₦140 million at current exchange rates. Musa also discussed operational costs, using naval logistics as an example.

He mentioned Nigeria's progress in building its own defence manufacturing capacity, including the production of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and Armoured Personnel Carriers. Additionally, he stated that the government is developing an air defence system to bolster Nigeria's airspace protection.

President Bola Tinubu signed the 2026 Appropriation Bill into law on April 17, approving a total expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion.