Nigeria’s import invoice for arms and ammunition surged within the first half of 2025, because the nation spent N26.95 billion on international weapons in comparison with N11.76 billion in the identical interval of 2024.
This represents a 129% improve year-on-year, based on the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics (NBS) international commerce report.
The rise reverses the stoop seen in 2024 and alerts renewed army procurement, whilst Nigeria battles safety challenges.
Robust rebound after a pointy collapse in 2024
The 2025 rebound is notable as a result of it follows one of many weakest years on document. In H1 2024, imports fell to only N11.76 billion from a document N121.36 billion in H1 2023, representing a 90% collapse. In contrast, the N26.95 billion spent in H1 2025 suggests the resumption of procurement contracts to defence.
H1 2023 stays the historic excessive, with arms imports topping N121.36 billion in simply six months, largely tied to counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency procurement.
The 2025 spending was closely concentrated within the first quarter. Imports in Q1 2025 amounted to N22.08 billion, greater than double the N10.72 billion recorded in Q1 2024. In contrast, Q2 2025 noticed a pointy slowdown to N4.87 billion, although this was nonetheless nearly 5 instances greater than the N1.04 billion spent in Q2 2024.
This means that over 80% of the half-year imports occurred within the first three months of 2025.
What does this imply
The renewed development in army imports coincides with ongoing insecurity throughout Nigeria. From Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency within the North-East to banditry within the North-West, armed conflicts within the South-East and kidnapping and killings within the North-Central, the federal government stays beneath stress to strengthen safety forces. The 129% improve in imports factors to higher funding in international arms as a part of this response.
Nonetheless, the broader trajectory from 2021 to 2025 exhibits how risky Nigeria’s defence imports have been. Spending swung from N39.80 billion in H1 2021 to N15.81 billion in H1 2022, then spiked to N121.36 billion in H1 2023, collapsed to N11.76 billion in H1 2024, and has now rebounded to N26.95 billion in H1 2025.
This volatility exhibits that Nigeria’s army procurement is pushed much less by regular year-on-year development and extra by contract cycles, finances releases, and shifting authorities priorities.
But, the fiscal implications are vital. Defence imports add to Nigeria’s commerce imbalance and put stress on scarce international reserves. With debt servicing already consuming a big share of presidency income, rising arms imports might additional squeeze fiscal area.
Nevertheless, Nigeria recorded an upswing in its exterior commerce place within the second quarter of 2025, because the nation’s commerce surplus widened by 44.3% to N7.46 trillion, up from N5.17 trillion within the earlier quarter.
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