Making Defence Budgets Count

Abstract

A cardinal objective in the manifesto of the All People's Congress (APC) which endeared it to many voters in 2015 was its argument that corruption was at the root of insecurity, especially the protraction of the war against the insurgent group, Boko Haram. Subsequently, upon coming to power, the party declared two wars; one on corruption, and the other on insecurity, specifically Boko-Haram. Rather than abating, insecurity in post-2015 Nigeria has mutated, with the Boko Haram insurgency becoming more localized and fractured. This article argues that opacity in defence budgeting is implicated in the prolongation of Nigeria's war against Boko Haram insofar as it diminishes the will and morale of the troops. As a trend that can be reversed through increased transparency and accountability in defence budgeting and spending, this article proposes an intellectual collective comprising the media, academics and the civil society as an organized and sustainable means of ensuring transparency in defence budgeting and spending.