Nigeria’s spending on the Presidential Air Fleet has risen significantly due to overseas maintenance arrangements, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) told the Senate during its 2026 budget defence session.
The disclosure was made by Mohammed Sanusi, Permanent Secretary at ONSA, when he appeared before the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence to present the agency’s proposed estimates for the 2026 fiscal year.
Sanusi explained that continued servicing of aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet outside Nigeria has significantly increased maintenance expenditure, placing added pressure on the nation’s security budget. However, he did not provide detailed figures for total spending on the fleet in 2025 or the cumulative costs incurred since the current administration assumed office.
The 2026 budget proposal presented by ONSA covers both the central office and its specialised units, including the National Counterterrorism Centre, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, and the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
Beyond aircraft maintenance, Sanusi outlined several operational challenges confronting the intelligence community. These include a shortage of operational vehicles for covert missions, irregular release of overhead allocations, non-implementation of the 2025 capital budget, funding shortfalls for personnel posted abroad, and exchange rate volatility affecting service-level agreements with international partners.
He noted that fluctuations in foreign exchange rates have made it increasingly difficult to predict and manage contractual obligations tied to foreign-based services.
Chairman of the committee, Yahaya Abdullahi, said the leadership of the National Assembly would carefully review the submissions and determine appropriate interventions.
“After receiving reports from the various committees, the National Assembly leadership will sit down to review the issues and work out appropriate solutions, particularly those that have arisen in the current financial year,” Abdullahi said.
He also referenced the recent declaration of a national emergency on security by Bola Tinubu, stressing that such a move must be backed by adequate financial resources.
“If such an emergency has been declared, there must be adequate funding to support it,” he stated.
Abdullahi disclosed that lawmakers may seek direct engagement with the president to communicate the concerns raised by security and intelligence agencies.
“We will develop a strategy to ensure that the president’s declaration does not become merely symbolic. If necessary, we will engage the leadership of the National Assembly to seek a meeting with the president,” he added.
According to him, 2026 will be a critical year for Nigeria’s democratic stability, warning that insufficient funding could undermine security preparations ahead of another election cycle.
“We emphasised that 2026 is a very critical year for the survival of the nation’s democracy. Given the current security situation, failure to adequately fund these agencies could create serious challenges as we approach next year’s elections,” Abdullahi cautioned.
The committee has since concluded its budget defence exercise and is compiling its report for submission to the Appropriations Committee and the National Assembly leadership.
