Nigeria spent about N55 billion on importing arms and ammunition between January and June 2026, according to foreign trade data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The figure comes at a time when the country continues to battle insecurity, terrorism and the circulation of illegal firearms.
NBS data reviewed in the report showed that Nigeria imported arms and ammunition worth N22.5 billion between April and June 2026, representing the second quarter of the year.
In the first quarter, covering January to March, the country spent N32.5 billion on similar imports. Combined, the two quarters brought total spending to N55 billion in the first half of 2026.
The latest figure adds to Nigeria’s growing arms import bill recorded in previous years. Data covering 2020 to September 2025 showed that the country had spent about N827.1 billion on arms and ammunition imports during that period.
The annual figures showed that imports stood at N29.2 billion in 2020 and rose to N72.4 billion in 2021 before dropping to N28.2 billion in 2022.
Spending increased significantly in 2023, reaching N127.1 billion, before rising sharply to N520 billion in 2024. Nigeria also recorded N50.2 billion in arms and ammunition imports between January and September 2025.
The latest development comes amid persistent security challenges across the country, including attacks by terrorist and other violent groups, as well as concerns over the spread of illicit firearms.
In 2025, the United States raised concerns about the growing availability of weapons among violent extremist groups in Nigeria and other parts of the Sahel.
The then Commander of the United States Africa Command, General Michael Langley, said the region had recorded an increase in attacks by violent extremist organisations following the withdrawal of US forces from Niger Republic.
He linked the worsening situation partly to the proliferation of weapons and the increasing capabilities of terrorist groups.
Nigeria’s military leadership also previously expressed concern over the country’s illegal arms situation.
In July 2025, then Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, said Nigeria was estimated to harbour about 40 per cent of illegal weapons circulating in West Africa.
Musa called for a review of the country’s security strategies, warning that instability around the world could continue to affect Nigeria’s domestic security situation.
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