Nigeria’s expenditure on arms and ammunition imports reached an unprecedented N520 billion in 2024, despite government claims of increased local production and exports, data from the National Bureau of Statistics has revealed.
According to NBS, in its Q4 2024 trade statistics report released on March 7, 2025, disclosed that between 2020 and 2024, Nigeria spent a total of N777.1 billion on arms importation.
However, 2024 recorded the highest annual spending within the period, with N483.85 billion spent in the last quarter alone.
This surge in imports contrasts with assurances by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, that Nigeria had started exporting weapons to African countries.
Speaking at the 60th anniversary of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in August 2024, Matawalle highlighted efforts to strengthen local arms production.
“Since we assumed leadership of the Ministry of Defence, we have been working tirelessly to ensure that DICON stands on its feet,” he said.
“Now, many African countries are turning to DICON for the procurement of arms and ammunition.”
He further argued that increased patronage of locally made weapons could boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and reduce capital flight.
However, NBS data contradicts this claim, revealing that Nigeria has only recorded arms exports once in the past five years—N192.64 million worth of arms exported in 2021. The report did not specify the recipient countries.
A breakdown of Nigeria’s arms importation figures shows that in 2023, the country spent N127.16 billion on arms, while N28.24 billion was recorded in 2022. In 2021, the figure stood at N72.50 billion, and in 2020, N29.24 billion was spent on arms imports.
The report’s revelations have raised concerns about the country’s reliance on foreign arms despite repeated government commitments to enhancing local defence manufacturing.
