Nigeria spent N804.10bn on arms and ammunition imports between 2020 and the second quarter of 2025, according to data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics.
Despite moves by the government to expand domestic production, recent data revealed that the import bill remains on the rise, raising concerns about foreign exchange depletion and national security dependence on external suppliers.
This came as local manufacturers increased the call for deeper collaboration with the country’s Armed Forces for the production of some arms and ammunition domestically, stressing that this would considerably reduce the huge FX spent on arms imports.
Foreign trade data from the NBS showed that in 2020, Nigeria imported arms and ammunition, including parts, worth N29.24bn.
The import bill surged to N72.50bn in 2021 before dropping to N28.24bn in 2022. In 2023, imports jumped again to N127.16bn.
By 2024, it rose astronomically to N520.02bn, recording the highest importation of arms and ammunition in the five years. Between January and June 2025, Nigeria imported arms worth N26.95bn, indicating that the upward trend had not abated.
Data showed that in the Q1- 2025, arms and ammunition imports stood at N22.08bn, with an additional N4.87bn imported in the Q2.
