The Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, has revealed that her ministry had released a total sum of  N1.008.47trillion to the Nigerian Army between January 2019 and April 2021.

The minister stated this when she appeared before the Senate Committee on Army on Tuesday, April 4.

Following complaints by the Nigerian Army that it had an outstanding N50 billion to collect from the ministry which was part of the budgetary provision to fight terrorism, the panel  summoned the minister.

The Minister while reading out the Capital Funding of the Nigerian Army for the years in review -2019 to April 2021, informed the Senate Committee that the Army had received more than the budgetary provision.

“In 2019 what was budgeted for the Nigerian Army was N19.6bn and N12.84bn was released representing 64.37 per cent.

“In 2020, the total capital budget for the Nigerian Army was N34.37bn and this amount was released 100 per cent.

“In 2021, that is this current year, the total budget for the Nigerian Army is N29bn. As at April, we have released N17.98bn of that, which is 68.92 per cent. It means we are on course to also release 100 per cent” Zainab said.