According to the data, the amount spent on arms and ammunition importation in 2020 stood at N29.2 billion. In 2021, the figure rose to N72.4 billion, before dropping to N28.2 billion in 2022.
A review by SaharaReporters of Nigeria’s foreign trade statistics for the third quarter of 2025 reveals that the country spent a total of N827.1 billion on arms and ammunition imports between 2020 and September 2025, covering five years and nine months.
According to the data, the amount spent on arms and ammunition importation in 2020 stood at N29.2 billion. In 2021, the figure rose to N72.4 billion, before dropping to N28.2 billion in 2022.
Spending increased significantly in 2023, reaching N127.1 billion, and surged further in 2024 to N520 billion. For the period between January and September 2025, arms and ammunition imports stood at N50.2 billion.
This development comes amid growing concerns over the proliferation of arms in Nigeria.
In June 2025, SaharaReporters reported that the United States raised alarm over the increasing spread of weapons among violent extremist groups in Nigeria following its withdrawal from Niger Republic.
The alarm was raised during a “Digital Press Briefing on the African Chiefs of Defense Conference 2025,” which featured the Commander of the U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Marine Corps General Michael Langley.
“I’ll just say that since we’ve left Niger in September of last year, we’re observing a rise in attacks by violent extremist organizations, not only in Niger but across the Sahel to include Nigeria as well and emanating in – going into Burkina Faso and Mali,” Langley noted.
“Now, this increase is measurable by both frequency and complexity of these attacks, driven by persistent and socioeconomic grievances and the proliferation of weapons and increased capable terrorist groups across the board.
“So unfortunately with our withdrawal from the region, we have lost our ability to monitor these terrorist groups closely but continue to liaison with partners to provide what support we can.”
In July 2025, then Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (now Minister of Defence), also raised the alarm over the high concentration of illicit arms in Nigeria, disclosing that the country harboured an estimated 40 per cent of all illegal weapons circulating in West Africa.
He made this known while delivering the second Distinguished Personality Lecture organised by the TETFund Centre of Excellence in Security Management at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking on the theme, “Global Fragility and Security Management in Nigeria,” General Musa stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to revamp its security strategies, warning that global instability continued to fuel domestic insecurity.
“Fragile states are no longer isolated issues. They pose a direct threat to regional and global peace, and Nigeria is not immune,” he said.
The Defence Chief revealed that “over 500 million illicit small arms and light weapons are circulating in West Africa, and an estimated 40 per cent of these weapons end up in Nigeria.”
According to him, “these weapons, often smuggled from conflict zones in the Sahel and North Africa, have empowered terrorists, bandits, and ethnic militias, escalating violence in Nigeria’s northern regions.”
General Musa emphasised that Nigeria’s security challenges were increasingly shaped by global forces, saying, “Nigeria’s vulnerabilities are not just internal, they’re being shaped by the global fragility matrix. We must respond with resilience, innovation, and collective will. No nation is an island in today’s security landscape.”
Outlining the way forward, he recommended a multifaceted strategy anchored in cooperation, capacity building, and national development.
“Multi-agency approach to security management, as outlined in Nigeria’s National Defence Policy; enhanced border security, with the use of fencing, surveillance technology, and better-trained personnel,” he said.
“Greater collaboration with neighbouring countries and international partners to curb the movement of arms and terrorists. Investment in youth empowerment, education, agriculture, and entrepreneurship to address root causes of insecurity. Strengthening civil institutions and promoting dialogue to foster national unity and social cohesion.”
Meanwhile, in a report, SBM Intelligence highlighted that non-state actors were amassing firearms at a rate that far outpaced law enforcement agencies in Nigeria in terms of available weapons.
Its report, which highlighted this development, focused on the ongoing farmer-herder crisis in the country, which has led to loss of lives and destruction of property.
The report by SBM Intelligence said, “A 2020 report by SBM Intelligence for the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) estimates that civilian non-state actors possess approximately 6,145,000 small arms nationwide, while the combined arsenal of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies stands at about 586,600 firearms.”
“This imbalance has undermined the state’s monopoly on the use of force, enabling various armed groups to operate with impunity,” it further noted.
“The inability of security forces to effectively mediate conflicts or hold perpetrators accountable has emboldened not only armed Fulani groups but also criminal elements who exploit the situation for personal gain.”