“Once You Fire a Medium-range Precision Missile For a Drone, ₦150 Million Has Gone, Whether You Hit Target or Not” — Incoming Minister of Defence, General Musa, Reveals the Cost of Defence.

Newly nominated Defence Minister, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, impressed many Nigerians after explaining the true costs of national defence. Musa, who retired as Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) barely 40 days ago, was recently selected by President Bola Tinubu to serve as Minister of Defence.

During his screening at the Senate plenary on Wednesday, the former CDS noted that defence spending is a major burden for every country. He pointed out that America’s most recent defence budget was around $800 billion, despite producing its own military equipment.

He stated: “No country can have everything, America’s budget last year was about $800 billion and they produce these equipments, we don’t produce these equipments. For everything we are buying, we buy with hard currency. A medium-range precision missile for a drone, sir, is $100,000, which is about ₦150 million.

“One you fire one, ₦150 million has gone whether you hit target or you don’t hit target.”

General Musa also mentioned the huge cost of powering medium-range naval vessels, explaining that they consume several thousand litres of fuel, which run out in less than six hours.