• Defense
• Defense Funding
• Mattawale

MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE SEEKS INCREASED COLLABORATION AND FUNDING TO COMBAT BANDITRY

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  Nicolas Adekeye / 3 months
• 0
• 2 min read

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, has appealed for increased collaboration and funding for the defence sector to effectively combat banditry and other forms of criminality across the nation. Matawalle made the appeal during the presentation of the 2025 Budget Proposal for the Ministry of Defence to the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Defence in Abuja. According to Matawalle, the current budget is insufficient to address the modern security challenges faced by the nation. “With the right equipment, we can significantly resolve the battle against banditry,” he said. The minister noted that the Ministry of Defence is tasked with providing essential equipment to various regions, but this goal remains unfulfilled due to budget constraints. In 2024, the ministry was only able to procure some Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), but Matawalle emphasized that more APCs are needed to tackle insecurity swiftly. He expressed confidence that the legislative bodies would consider increasing the budget allocation for the ministry, which would enable the provision of necessary equipment to areas experiencing fresh attacks and facilitate decisive action against banditry. Matawalle extended his gratitude to the leadership of the committees for their continued support, emphasizing that their cooperation has significantly contributed to the ministry’s progress. In response, the leadership of the committees assured Matawalle of sustained collaboration to ensure the successful realization of the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda on security.