Nigerian Government To Spend ₦195 Billion On Amnesty Programme Over Three Years.
The Nigerian government has approved plans to spend a total of ₦195 billion on the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) over a three-year period, raising fresh debates over cost, accountability and impact.
According to official budget projections, the funds will be disbursed between 2025 and 2027 to cover stipends, vocational training, overseas scholarships, reintegration initiatives and administrative expenses for former Niger Delta militants enrolled in the programme.
The Presidential Amnesty Programme was introduced in 2009 to curb militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta by offering ex-agitators monthly allowances, education opportunities and skills acquisition in exchange for laying down arms. The initiative is credited with helping to stabilise crude oil production and reducing attacks on oil infrastructure.
Breakdowns of the projected spending show that a significant portion of the ₦195 billion will go to payment of monthly stipends to beneficiaries, while billions more are earmarked for local and foreign training programmes, capacity development and programme management.
However, the proposed expenditure has drawn criticism from civil society groups and fiscal watchdogs, who argue that the programme has run for over a decade with limited evidence of long-term economic reintegration of beneficiaries. Critics also question why the programme continues to receive huge allocations amid Nigeria’s worsening debt profile, high inflation and widespread poverty.
Some Niger Delta stakeholders, however, defend the spending, insisting that the amnesty programme remains crucial to maintaining peace in the region. They warn that poor funding or abrupt termination could trigger renewed unrest, oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
The federal government has maintained that reforms are ongoing to improve transparency and ensure that the programme delivers measurable outcomes, including sustainable employment and entrepreneurship for beneficiaries.
As Nigeria grapples with mounting economic pressures, the ₦195 billion allocation is expected to intensify public scrutiny over whether the amnesty programme remains a peace-building necessity or an expensive policy in need of urgent overhaul.