The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawan, has called for the full and timely implementation of Nigeria’s defence budget, warning that delays could undermine the country’s security efforts.

Speaking during a budget defence session where the Minister of Defence presented the ministry’s 2025 performance and 2026 budget proposal on Wednesday, Sen. Lawan assured that the Senate is committed to ensuring the armed forces receive the necessary resources to carry out their duties effectively.

“We are prepared on this side of government to ensure that our armed forces are given the resources they need,” he said. However, he expressed concern over the slow pace of implementation of the 2025 budget.

“The exercise of implementation has been slow. How are we prepared to move forward if we are unable to implement the 2025 budget fully? How do we deal with 2026?” he asked.

The chairman emphasized that defence spending cannot be postponed, noting that any delay in funding could give an advantage to criminal elements and insurgents.

“It is defence; you cannot postpone the implementation of the defence budget because that gives an edge to the enemy. We have to insist that our armed forces and other security agencies have their budgets implemented to secure the lives of Nigerians,” he said.

“They need the tools and weapons to fight. If we can provide those, we are committed to giving them the means to effectively combat insecurity,” he added.

Describing the session as an accountability exercise, Sen. Lawan noted that lawmakers were scrutinizing the ministry’s 2025 budget performance, particularly as parts of the budget were not fully implemented and were instead rolled over into 2026.

“We need to review what has happened,” he said, underscoring the Senate’s determination to ensure improved performance and transparency in defence spending.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has acknowledged that security challenges persist across the country as he presented the 2026 budget proposal to lawmakers during his first budget defence session.

Addressing members of the Senate Committee on Defence, the minister stated that the ministry remains committed to improving its performance despite existing difficulties.

“Challenges are still there, but we are hoping to do better,” he said.

He also credited the committee’s support for the progress made so far, noting that the achievements recorded by the ministry would not have been possible without the cooperation and backing of the National Assembly. (Channels)

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