Budget for 2023: Army Requests NASS Pass Armed Forces Trust Bill

Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), urged the National Assembly to enact the “Armed Forces of Nigeria Trust Fund Bill” before it expires in 2023.
The Nigerian Army chief made the appeal while defending the 2023 budget plan and discussing the performance of the 2022 budget proposal before the House of Representatives Committee on Army, which is chaired by Hon. Abdurrazak Namdaz, APC-Adamawa State.

He claimed that the bill’s passage would significantly help the Nigerian army through increased budget, which in turn would strengthen the Service’s operational capabilities.

Yahaya also demanded a reform of the current envelope system, which he claimed had resulted in insufficient money for the activities of the Nigerian army.
He claimed that “this is because the Nigerian army’s manpower requirements rose to suit the development of the force’s theater activities.
The Nigerian Army is gradually putting into practice the Nigerian Army Order of Battle, 2026. As a result, the Nigerian army’s military structure has increased from five to eight divisions. I must state unequivocally that the Nigerian army’s ongoing growth has had a severe negative impact on the limited human resources and financial resources at its disposal.

In order to successfully provide security for our residents, the Nigerian army’s operational commands and the battlefield in the center were constructed.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Abdurrazak Namdaz, stated in his remarks that in order for the Nigerian army to properly address the country’s security issues, the welfare of its personnel must be given the utmost priority and never compromised.
He added that the committee was aware of the difficulties the army was facing, particularly the financial situation.

He stated that “in recent years, the legislature worked to improve and sustain budgetary provision of the army from the budgeted N463 billion in 2020 to N509 billion in 2021 and N589 billion in 2022.” Namdaz further stated that the 2023 budget proposal of the Nigerian army is currently being considered and is approximately N600 billion. He urged for the wise application of the provision.