Nigeria’s military expenditure surged sharply in 2025, rising by 55% year-on-year to $2.1 billion, as worsening insecurity across the country forced increased defence spending.
This is according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The report places Nigeria among the fastest-growing military spenders globally in 2025, highlighting how internal security pressures are reshaping fiscal priorities in sub-Saharan Africa.
What the report is saying
SIPRI data shows Nigeria’s military spending jumped from roughly $1.35 billion in 2024 to $2.1 billion in 2025, marking one of the steepest increases in Africa.
The surge was largely driven by intensifying security challenges, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and widespread communal and separatist tensions.
This places Nigeria as the second-largest military spender in sub-Saharan Africa, behind South Africa.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, total military expenditure rose to $23.3 billion in 2025, representing a 7.4% increase compared to 2024.
Nigeria was a major driver of this growth, accounting for a significant share of the region’s increase.
The report also noted that military spending in the sub-region has risen by 21% over the past decade, reflecting persistent instability and conflict risks.
- “Military expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa totalled $23.3 billion in 2025, up by 7.4% compared with 2024 and 21% more than in 2016.
- “The year-on-year increase was largely driven by higher spending in Nigeria, the second largest spender in the subregion.
- “Nigeria’s military expenditure rose by 55% to $2.1 billion in 2025 against the backdrop of the worsening security situation in the country linked to insurgencies and extremist violence,” the report read.
While Nigeria ramped up spending, South Africa, the region’s largest spender, reduced its military budget slightly by 1.2% to $3.2 billion, continuing a longer-term downward trend.
Africa’s military expenditure rises on regional tensions
At the continental level, Africa’s total military spending reached $58.2 billion in 2025, up 8.5% year-on-year and 45% higher than in 2016.
North Africa accounted for the bulk of spending, with countries like Algeria leading at $25.4 billion. However, sub-Saharan Africa’s growth trajectory is increasingly shaped by internal conflicts rather than interstate tensions.
The report highlights that spending increases across Africa are tied to a mix of insurgencies, political instability, and long-standing regional disputes.
Global military spending hits record high
Globally, military expenditure rose to $2.887 trillion in 2025, marking the 11th consecutive year of growth and the highest level ever recorded.
However, the pace of increase slowed to 2.9% in 2025, compared to 9.7% in 2024, indicating a moderation after years of rapid expansion.
The world’s top five military spenders — the United States, China, Russia, Germany, and India — accounted for 58% of global defence expenditure.
What you should know
Nigeria’s sharp increase in military spending signals a shift in fiscal focus towards security, even as the country grapples with broader economic pressures, including debt servicing and revenue constraints.
- The rise in defence allocation suggests that security challenges are increasingly dictating budgetary decisions, potentially crowding out spending in other critical sectors such as infrastructure, health, and education.
- Nairametrics earlier reported that Nigeria’s military aircraft fleet totalled 159 units in 2026, placing the country 54th in the world, according to the 2026 Global Firepower (GFP) Military Aircraft Fleet Strength report.
- The ranking accounts for all operational aircraft across Nigeria’s armed forces, including fixed-wing and rotary-wing platforms, and reflects the nation’s overall air power capability.
The Nigerian Air Force remains a critical pillar of national defence, supporting counter-terrorism, surveillance, troop mobility, and air support operations across the country.
