Nigeria’s former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), retired General Lucky Irabor, has challenged the long-held public narrative surrounding the financial resources allocated to the nation’s armed forces, arguing that critical questions about actual operational needs are being consistently ignored.
Speaking on NTA Network’s Conversation with History, on Tuesday May 19, 2026, the former defense chief expressed concern over how the public evaluates the military’s role in tackling Nigeria’s multi-decade security crisis, particularly when massive budget allocations are announced.
Gen. Irabor, public analysis often misses the core reality of what it takes to equip and sustain a modern fighting force capable of handling complex internal conflicts. He emphasized that bare figures do not tell the whole story.
“What many fail to realize is especially with respect to the military and its responsibility as it affects insecurity in the country that you have a military. If you ask yourself, this military, what is their number? What really do they need? Out of what they need, what can I provide for them? That’s the question many people don’t ask,” Irabor stated.
He pointed out that the sensation surrounding high-profile budget numbers creates an illusion of abundance, failing to account for the massive scale of the military infrastructure.
“So when you hear today that so much money has been voted for the military, you ask yourself so much of how much?”……See More
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