The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday, warned against delay in the full release of defence budget in order to effectively deal with the challenges of insecurity in the country.
Lawan gave the warning at the 2026 budget defence session of the Committee with the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, demanding for the full and timely implementation of the defence budget.
The former President of the Senate, declared that defence spending could not be postponed, adding that delay in releases of funds to the security agencies could undermine the government’s efforts to tackle the activities of kidnappers, bandits and terrorists in the country.
He reiterated the determination of the Senate to ensure improved performance and transparency in defence spending, saying: “We are prepared on this side of government to ensure that our Armed Forces are given the resources they need”.
Emphasizing that defence spending could not be postponed, he said: “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.
“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.”
Lawan, however, decried the slow pace of implementing the 2025 budget, wondering how the government would deal with the proposal for 2026.
In his presentation, General Musa acknowledged the persistent security challenges across the country but reassured lawmakers that the ministry remained committed to improving its performance despite existing difficulties.
“Challenges are still there, but we are hoping to do better,” he said, stressing that progress so far was made possible by the support and cooperation of the National Assembly.
