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By Tracy Moses
The Nigerian intelligence community has appealed for a supplementary budget to enable timely and effective responses to emerging national security challenges.
Mohammed Sanusi, Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), made the appeal on Wednesday during a budget defence session before the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
Sanusi said the request is particularly urgent following President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a State of Emergency on National Security. He emphasized that no nation can grow without adequate security.
The briefing covered the Office of the National Security Adviser and its centers, including the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCT), National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC), National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSA&LW), and the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). It also included the Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), and Presidential Air Fleet (PAF).
Sanusi highlighted key priorities for 2026: combatting terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping using intelligence and community-based strategies; securing critical infrastructure; enhancing protection of oil, gas, and maritime assets; strengthening cybersecurity; maintaining security in the Three Arms Zone, the FCT, and nationwide; and addressing transnational crimes and proliferation of small arms across West Africa.
He noted challenges faced in implementing the 2025 budget, including irregular release of funds, lack of capital allocation, high foreign exchange costs, and insufficient operational vehicles for covert and overt operations.
Sanusi reassured the committee that the intelligence community remains committed to transparency, accountability, and alignment with government security objectives. He thanked President Tinubu and the National Assembly for their continued support.
Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Engr. Ahmad Satomi, described the proposed 2026 allocations for the intelligence sector as “abysmal,” stressing that they fall short of the President’s stated priorities for national security.
He urged that training institutions for the intelligence agencies be given separate budgetary allocations, similar to those of the armed forces and police, to ensure world-class training and preparedness.
Satomi emphasized that oversight by the legislature is meant to enhance transparency and effectiveness, not to antagonize security agencies.
He called for greater collaboration between the executive, intelligence agencies, and the legislature to ensure Nigeria’s security and economic stability.