By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
In a rare and forceful move, the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Nigerian Air Force on Tuesday rejected the service’s proposed budget, warning that the allocation on the table falls dangerously short of what is required to confront Nigeria’s spiralling security threats.
The decision, reached after a tense budget defence session, sent a clear message from lawmakers: an underfunded Air Force cannot win an air war against insurgency.
Committee members said the proposal, as presented, lacks the financial muscle to sustain aerial operations, maintain combat aircraft, procure critical equipment, and support personnel at a time when air power remains central to counter-insurgency operations across multiple theatres.
Rising from the closed-door deliberations, the Joint Committee resolved to set up a high-level mini-committee to urgently engage the Federal Government, the Budget Office of the Federation, and relevant legislative committees in search of a more realistic and sustainable funding framework for the Air Force.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the session, Chairman of the House Committee on Air Force, Hon. Kabir Alhassan, said lawmakers were united in their view that national security could not be treated as a line item to be managed by half measures.
“What has been proposed is simply not enough for the Nigerian Air Force to meet its operational responsibilities at this critical time,” he said.
“We are dealing with insurgency, banditry and other security threats that demand superior air power and sustained operational readiness.”
Hon. Alhassan explained that once consultations are concluded and a revised funding structure agreed upon, the new proposal will be returned to the Joint Committee for fresh consideration and approval.
He also addressed concerns around the 2025 budget cycle, clarifying that although parts of the capital component were shifted to 2026 due to broader fiscal pressures, the total funding envelope still falls short of what the Air Force requires to function effectively.
“Even with the deferral, the numbers do not add up,” he said. “Any funding eventually provided especially in 2026 must be adequate to fully support the strategic and operational needs of the Nigerian Air Force.”
Lawmakers warned that continued underfunding risks grounding aircraft, stretching personnel beyond limits and weakening the country’s ability to respond decisively to security threats.
The Joint Committee urged the Federal Government to cooperate fully with the review process, stressing that Nigerians expect swift, decisive and properly funded action in the fight against insecurity.
As the session ended, the message from the National Assembly was unmistakable: national security will not be negotiated on a shoestring.
The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the Nigerian Air Force and the broader security architecture receives the funding required to safeguard lives, territory and national stability.
