🇳🇬 Nigeria Military Strength 2026

With an overall Power Index rank of #46 out of 180, Nigeria stands as a mid-tier military in 2026. Its armed forces field 143,000 active personnel. The defense budget stands at $1.1 billion (2024), about 0.6% of GDP.

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Personnel & budget

IndicatorValueRank
Active military personnel143,000#34
Reserve personnel0
Paramilitary forces80,000
Defense budget (2024)$1.1 billion#81
Budget share of GDP0.56%
Population237.5M

Land forces

IndicatorValueRank
Main battle tanks317#39
Attack helicopters16

Air power

IndicatorValueRank
Combat aircraft38#61
Military satellites0

Naval forces

IndicatorValueRank
Aircraft carriers0
Cruisers0
Destroyers0
Frigates1
Corvettes1
Amphibious warfare ships0
Nuclear submarines0
Conventional submarines0
Fleet strength score3#63

Head-to-head comparisons

Data years vary by indicator (latest available, 2023–2026). See methodology and sources.