Senate Critiques Envelope Budgeting for Security Agencies

The Nigerian Senate has condemned the envelope budgeting system used for security agencies, labeling it as disheartening and insufficient to meet the real needs of the intelligence community. Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, representing Kebbi North and serving as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, expressed concerns that the current allocation framework does not reflect the actual requirements for safeguarding the nation and its citizens.

He stressed the importance of adequate funding in the upcoming 2026 budget. Additionally, Moham Sanusi, the Permanent Secretary of the National Security Intelligence Agency, outlined the intelligence community's priorities for 2026, which include combating terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping, as well as enhancing intelligence gathering.

Sanusi noted that the envelope system hampers operations, citing issues such as irregular release of overhead costs and gaps in funding for foreign service personnel. He called for adequate allocations in the 2026 budget and supplementary provisions to ensure timely responses to security challenges.