The Presidency has increased the proposed 2026 Federal Government budget from N54.46 trillion to N58.18 trillion to accommodate the large-scale recruitment recently announced for the military, police and other security agencies by President Bola Tinubu. The adjustment reflects the growing financial demands of strengthening national security across the country.
The new budget figure was disclosed by the Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr Tanimu Yakubu, after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Friday, just hours before the President presented the budget proposal to the National Assembly. According to a Presidency source, most Ministries, Departments and Agencies had already submitted their budget proposals before the recruitment decision was taken, making an upward review unavoidable.
It was gathered that the FEC meeting preceding the announcement was brief and did not allow for extensive deliberation on the budget details. The President was said to have opted for an early presentation to the National Assembly to demonstrate commitment to timely passage, even as technical adjustments are expected to be refined during subsequent budget defence sessions by MDAs.
The proposed N58.18 trillion expenditure represents a six per cent increase over the 2025 budget estimate of N49.7 trillion. It includes N4.98 trillion in projected spending by government-owned enterprises and N1.37 trillion earmarked for grants and donor-funded projects.
Statutory transfers account for N4.1 trillion, while debt servicing stands at N15.52 trillion, including N3.388 trillion for the sinking fund. Personnel costs, including pensions, are projected at N10.75 trillion, reflecting a seven per cent increase from 2025, while overhead costs are estimated at N2.22 trillion.
With projected revenue of N34.33 trillion against total spending of N58.18 trillion, the budget deficit is expected to reach N23.85 trillion, representing 4.28 per cent of GDP. Capital expenditure is set at N26.08 trillion, while recurrent non-debt spending is pegged at N15.25 trillion.
Security receives the highest sectoral allocation at N5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure, education and health, underscoring the administration’s emphasis on tackling insecurity while sustaining development priorities.
