On Wednesday, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, the chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, criticized the envelope budgeting system used by security and intelligence organizations.
When Mohammed Sanusi, Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Office of the National Security Adviser, addressed the budget defense committee, Abdullahi voiced his concerns.
The conference was called to review the budgetary provisions that would support the security and intelligence community’s operations for the fiscal year 2026, he added.
The committee deemed it essential to provide funding to the intelligence community, Abdullahi said, adding that President Bola Tinubu had just proclaimed a national emergency on security.
He stated that this was done to make sure it was in line with the difficulties the country was facing.
The senator stated that adequate funding was necessary for security agencies to function at their best and handle the increasing number of new security threats to national stability.
“However, it is depressing to observe that the budget of the security and intelligence agency is still based on the whims of the envelope system of budgeting rather than on actual needs and requirements,” he continued.
It was deemed improper by the lawmaker that capital funds designated for security agencies in the 2024 and 2025 budgets were either not released at all or released in part.
According to him, “this has undoubtedly had a very negative impact on their operational capabilities as well as their ability to acquire materials and modern security equipment.”
Abdullahi emphasized that in order to protect the country, its residents, and their property, the National Assembly must give the intelligence community the resources they require.
The security and intelligence community was praised by Sen. Orji Kalu (APC-Abia), a committee member, for showing there on time.
He stated: “In the past, certain invitees—particularly some ministers—have not kept to the timetable, showing up hours late and making a variety of excuses.
He claimed that these delays have a detrimental impact on our job, particularly during this crucial budgetary moment.
“Delays hinder our ability to perform our constitutional duties effectively,” stated Kalu, who described budget discussions as important problems.
“I implore that this culture of timeliness and deference to institutional procedures be upheld.”
The Office of the National Security Adviser and its centers were included in the brief, according to Mohammed Sanusi, Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Office of the National Security Adviser.
“Among the centers are the Presidential Amnesty Programs, the National Cyber Security Coordination Center, the National Center for Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, and the National Counter Terrorism Center,” he said.
According to Sanusi, fighting terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping through improved intelligence and community-based tactics was the intelligence community’s primary emphasis area for the current fiscal year.
Notably, there are several difficulties with the securities’ operations and activities throughout the 2025 fiscal year.
He stated that the envelope system of budgeting is one of the major obstacles the intelligence community faced when implementing the 2025 budget.
The envelope system, according to Sanusi, created numerous limitations on the intelligence community’s ability to allocate resources.
“The non-implementation of the 2025 capital appropriation release, the irregular release of the foreign service personnel shortfall, and the irregular releases of the overhead cost,” he said.
Consequently, he demanded that the intelligence committee be given sufficient funds through supplemental funding.
“This is to ensure prompt and efficient response to national security issues.” Without sufficient security, no country can develop, as we all agree,” Sanusi stated.
The Senate’s National Security and Intelligence committee also made fun of the leaders of federal government-owned Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on Wednesday for their propensity to be late to committee meetings.
But it did compliment the heads of the different security intelligence organizations for consistently showing up on time for such important meetings.
In a recent budget defense session, the National Security and Intelligence committee, along with the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nuhu Ribadu, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), made harsh comments to agency heads who enjoy attending the engagements of various standing committees.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North expressed his disgust with the majority of agency chiefs’ tardiness in attending the budget defense session, saying the Senate would no longer put up with this practice.
In particular, he accused former serving senators and members of the National Assembly who were appointed to the executive branch of government of being the most culpable for their tardiness.
He stated: “We are pleased that prior to the interface’s scheduled start time of 11:00 am, the heads of the various national security and intelligence organizations showed there for the budget defense session.
Many other agency heads, especially those led by former National Assembly members or senators, do not share this sentiment, though.
This is completely ridiculous since all parties involved need to treat this budgetary time seriously.
“Perpetual tardy people like to tell lies about why they arrived late for committee assignments because of the president’s visit to the Villa, which are lies to us here.”
In agreement with Kalu’s warning, the committee’s chairman, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), stated that all impacted agency heads should use it as a wake-up call.
Additionally, in order to address the nation’s insecurity, the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has urged for increased financing for intelligence collection organizations.
It was called during the 2026 budget defense session in Abuja on Wednesday by the committee’s chairman, Rep. Ahmad Satomi (APC-Borno).
To improve Nigeria’s security framework, the member also demanded closer coordination between the legislative and executive branches.
In line with President Bola Tinubu’s earlier stance when he presented the ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, he asserts that national security continues to be the cornerstone of growth.
Defense and security received ₦5.41 trillion, infrastructure earned ₦3.56 trillion, education earned ₦3.52 trillion, and health received ₦2.48 trillion, he noted.
“The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and its agencies, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Presidential Air Fleet, and the National Institute for Security Studies’ personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures were allotted N664,119,740 out of the N5.42 trillion.”
Additional analysis reveals that the total projected capital expenditure for 2026 is N286,904,549,354, the total payroll cost for all intelligence-related agencies is N245,941,663,329, and the entire overhead cost proposal is N131,273,507,85.
According to the releases for the 2025 budget implementation, or at least the ones we are aware of, there is nothing at all to imply that the president prioritizes security and intelligence, which is why these allocations are so pitiful.
Releases to the security sector shouldn’t be handled carelessly if the provision of welfare and security is, in fact, the main goal of governance.
“Therefore, this committee is fervently pleading with our beloved president to reconsider the financing of the intelligence sector’s agencies, improve them, and give them priority,” he stated.
Satomi remembered that the committee visited the DSS training schools in Bauchi, Lagos, and Enugu in 2024 and was discouraged by the poor condition of the facilities in each school.
What we saw, he said, cannot honestly provide our men and women who are giving their lives for the sake of our dear nation with top-notch technical, psychological, and sociological skills.
He asked the president to order that the budget allocate funds to the training schools under distinct headings, similar to what is done for police and military training institutes, and that sufficient monies be provided to operate them.
In his comments, the Office of National Security Adviser’s Permanent Secretary, Special Services, stated that the envelop system of budgeting imposed significant limitations on the distribution of resources to the intelligence community.
The community was also hampered, he claimed, by the inconsistent release of overhead costs, the execution of the 2025 allocated overhead cost releases, and the irregular release of the 2024 foreign service personnel deficit brought on by the FX disparity.
The difficulties were the non-release of capital allocation, the high currency rate, the lack of operating vehicles for both overt and covert operations, and the rising foreign exchange costs associated with maintaining the Presidential Air Fleet overseas rather than at home.
We humbly ask that sufficient funds be allocated to the intelligence community through a supplemental budget in order to guarantee prompt and efficient handling of national security concerns.
No country can develop without sufficient security, we all agreed.
By making sure that the budgetary provisions are in line with the government’s broader security objectives, he made it clear that the intelligence community is committed to transparency, accountability, and efficient resource management.
ONSA is requesting more cash to address insecurity.
Nigeria’s security and intelligence community has requested a special and supplemental budget to guarantee prompt and efficient response to threats to national security and other matters.
The request was made Wednesday at a budget defense session before the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence by Mohammed Sanusi, Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).
According to him, this is more important now that President Bola Tinubu has declared a State of Emergency on National Security.
Without proper security, he emphasized, no country can develop.
The National Counterterrorism Center (NCT), the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center (NCCC), the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSA&LW), and the Presidential Amnesty Program [PAP] were among the centers of the Office of National Security Adviser that were discussed in his brief.
The National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) were also covered.
In the current fiscal year 2026, he said, the intelligence community’s primary focus areas include, but are not limited to, fighting terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping with improved intelligence and community-based tactics; protecting vital infrastructure to guarantee food and economic security; improving the protection of vital infrastructure for oil and gas to boost oil production; and improving maritime safety and border security.
Other measures include improving cybersecurity, maintaining a positive and manageable security level throughout the Three Arms Zone, the entire Federal Capital Territory, and the nation as a whole, developing human resources and capacity to handle new security threats, addressing transnational crimes, addressing the spread of small arms and light weapons throughout the West African corridor, and addressing the effects of political instability in the contiguous West African nations.
The envelop system of budgeting, he added, was one of the main obstacles the Intelligence Community faced when implementing the 2025 Budget and caused significant restrictions on the distribution of resources to the Intelligence Community.
In addition, he stated that the 2025 appropriated overhead cost releases were not implemented, the foreign service personnel shortage for 2024 was released irregularly because of the forex discrepancy, and the overhead cost was released irregularly.
He also mentioned the lack of capital allocation, the high exchange rate because nearly all service level agreements are in US dollars, the lack of operational vehicles for both overt and covert operations, and the higher foreign exchange costs associated with maintaining the Presidential Air Fleet overseas rather than at home.
I would like to remind the distinguished members that the Intelligence Community has consistently reassured this Committee and the National Assembly as a whole of its dedication to openness, responsibility, and efficient resource management by making sure that the budgetary provisions are in line with the government’s overarching security goals.
The Intelligence Community finally acknowledged and expressed gratitude to Mr.
Thank you to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his dedication and commitment to restoring peace and security to our communities. Additionally, we are still appreciative of the National Assembly and its leadership’s understanding and support,” he stated.
According to Engineer Ahmad Satomi, chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, the funding for the intelligence sub-sector is pitiful.
In his speech, Mr. President recognized the importance of the intelligence subsector in the broader effort to maintain a stable national security, which makes me further glad. “Our administration is resetting the national security architecture and establishing a new national counterterrorism doctrine — a holistic redesign anchored on unified command, intelligence gathering, community stability, and counter-insurgency,” he stated in the 2026 budget speech. This new concept will radically alter our approach to combating violent crimes like terrorism.
The proposed budget for 2026, however, allots 5.41 trillion naira for defense and security. For personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures in 2026, the intelligence subsector—which includes the Office of the NSA and its Agencies, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the Presidential Air Fleet, and the National Institute for Security Studies—has been allotted N664,119,740. A more thorough analysis reveals that the entire overhead cost plan for 2026 is N131,273,507,85; the total projected capital expenditure is N286,904,549,354; and the staff cost for all intelligence-related agencies is N245,941,663,329.
“It appears that the president’s statement to the Joint Session of the National Assembly on December 19, 2025, did not align with these distributions, which are completely inadequate.
Furthermore, if we stick to the releases for the 2025 budget implementation—at least the ones we are aware of—there is not a single indication that the president places a high priority on security and intelligence. It would seem that releases to the security sector shouldn’t be regarded lightly if, in fact, providing welfare and security is the main goal of governance.
Thus, Satomi stated, “This Committee is fervently pleading with our beloved president to kindly investigate the financing of the intelligence sector agencies, improve them, and give them priority.”
According to him, President Bola Tinubu highlighted the importance of national security as the cornerstone of stability and economic prosperity, underscoring the government’s primary duty as stipulated in section 14 (2b) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution.
He asserted that this is impossible if the executive and legislative branches do not recognize and honor one another’s constitutional obligations as partners and stakeholders in the Nigerian project.
According to him, it is counterproductive and a bad wind that does no good for the nation when security and intelligence services perceive the legislature as intrusive outsiders whenever parliamentary committees attempt to regulate the security sector.
“Oversight does not imply animosity, hatred, or witch hunts; rather, it facilitates the participation of the Nigerian populace in security governance through its elected officials.” This guarantees openness, accountability, and cost-effectiveness in the implementation of government initiatives, programs, and policies in the security sector and fosters public trust and admiration for our men and women in that field,” he said.
He expressed sorrow over the fact that certain agencies were unwilling to accept responsibility for legislative monitoring.
I dare say that not all information should be classified for the members and leadership of the standing committees that supervise the intelligence and security services. The Constitution’s seventh schedule outlines our oaths of membership and oaths of allegiance, which bind us as honorable members of the National Assembly.
So that we can work together as partners in nation-building and fulfill the government’s primary duty of providing security and welfare to all Nigerians, I urge the impacted agencies to adopt a new mindset. He asserted that “no one branch of government can do it alone.
He mentioned the several laws passed by the National Assembly to improve the security and intelligence sector’s efficacy and efficiency.
In order to ensure that the laws in the security and intelligence sector are not just on the bookshelves but that every provision is carried out in order to fulfill the legislative intent behind their enactment, he anticipated that the Committee on National Security and Intelligence would continuously engage all pertinent stakeholders going forward, especially those tasked with carrying out the body of laws in this area.
This committee visited the Department of State Services training schools in Bauchi, Lagos, and Enugu in 2024. It has plans to visit the remaining ones in Kaduna as well as the projected institutions in Kogi and Cross River States. In Lagos, we also went to the NIA Training School.
The deplorable condition of the facilities in every school we visited demoralized us as, in all honesty, they cannot provide our men and women who are giving their lives in defense of our dear nation with top-notch technical, psychological, and sociological skills.
This committee once more urges our beloved president to order that these training institutions receive independent budgetary funding heads, similar to what is done for police and military training institutes, and that sufficient funding be provided to operate them.
As we discuss today’s budget proposal for 2026, members of this committee would like to reassure you and all Nigerians that the House of Representatives is totally committed to helping the intelligence sector’s agencies fulfill their mandates.
He stated, “Our institutional efforts should be complementary and cooperative in order to create a safe, secure, and conducive country that Nigerians and foreign residents are proud to live in and conduct their lawful businesses in.”
Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi has also stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria’s (FGN) implementation of justice sector reforms has been negatively impacted by the federal ministry’s yearly budgets’ insufficient funding and non-release of approved monies.
He said this during a presentation he gave to the House of Representatives Committee on Justice on Wednesday in Abuja during the Federal Ministry of Justice’s 2026 Budget Defense.
He informed the House Committee that achieving the objectives and projects listed in the Ministry’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and National Policy on Justice 2024 is the main focus of the Ministry’s mission and activities.
He added that these goals and programs are consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is the present administration’s roadmap for the justice sector (legal and judicial changes).
However, the Minister bemoaned the fact that the ministry’s ability to provide the public with essential projects and services is being negatively impacted by both limited financial allocation and delayed cash delivery.
He mentioned some of the major accomplishments in the ministry’s ongoing justice reforms, including asset recovery and financial management, criminal justice and counterterrorism, and removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list.
According to him, the Ministry’s ten-month overhead cost of N6,675,702.827.32 (out of N7,499.524.027) represents 82% of performance.
In addition, the Ministry was given a warrant for capital projects of N869.630.896.30 out of N6,749.616.425, which is only 12% of the entire capital budget. Unfortunately, even this 12% was not backed by cash.
He clarified that the Ministry’s 2025 capital projects were not funded, adding that this is not an unusual circumstance for the ministry.
“The federal ministry has allocated N23,680,142,209.50 for personnel, overhead, and capital costs in its 2026 budget proposal,” he said.
According to Hon. Olumide Osoba, the chairman of the House Committee, and other members, the House panel will thoroughly examine the Ministry’s and its agencies’ proposed budget to make sure that financial constraints won’t impede improvements in the judicial system.
He added that any funds authorized for the Ministry in its yearly budgets will be effectively overseen by the Committee.
