The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has called on the Federal Government to release the full capital allocation for security agencies as outlined in the 2024 and 2025 budget estimates.
At the 2025 budget defense session held on Monday, Ahmed Satomi, Chairman of the House Committee, expressed concern over the lack of capital releases to some intelligence agencies in 2024. He highlighted that while funds were allocated, the releases fell short of expectations, and some agencies, including the National Centre for Counter-Terrorism, received no capital funding for both 2023 and 2024.
Satomi emphasized the importance of timely and complete capital releases to enable security agencies to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities effectively in the 2025 fiscal year. Despite increased allocations to the security sector over the years, he pointed out that the intelligence sub-sector continues to be underfunded, hindering its ability to deliver optimal services.
The committee chairman further expressed concern that vital agencies, such as the National Institute for Security Studies and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, had not received capital funding for their projects in 2024. He reiterated that the security sector, especially the intelligence agencies, requires adequate funding to combat terrorism, violent extremism, and the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons.
Satomi also commended President Bola Tinubu for allocating N4.91 trillion to defense and security in the 2025 budget, urging that the intelligence sub-sector receive a larger share of capital allocations. The proposed budget for the intelligence agencies includes N595 billion in total allocations, with N274.55 billion earmarked for capital expenditure, N107.96 billion for overhead costs, and N212.51 billion for personnel.
He called on President Tinubu to intervene by ensuring the release of all outstanding 2024 budget allocations to the intelligence agencies and to prioritize future releases for the sector. Satomi emphasized that securing peace and rebuilding prosperity, as outlined in the 2025 budget proposal, requires effective collaboration among security agencies and proper funding for intelligence-gathering efforts.
In his remarks, Mohammed Danjuma, Permanent Secretary of Special Services in the Office of the National Security Adviser, assured the committee that the 2025 budget is designed to address the evolving security threats facing the nation. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of security agencies to gather intelligence, coordinate operations, and improve national security.
Danjuma also acknowledged the challenges posed by the envelope budgeting system, which limits resource allocation, but assured that agencies would continue to balance their operational needs with the fiscal constraints of the government. He emphasized the intelligence community’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective resource management to achieve the government’s security objectives.
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