Reps advocate increased funding for Defence Agency

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Defense has emphasized the need for more funding for the Defence Intelligence Agency.

Babajimi Benson, Committee Chair, spoke as he led members on their first oversight visit to the DIA headquarters in Abuja.

Benson stated that the DIA is vital to the nation’s security architecture, and the visit emphasizes the need of intelligence-driven approaches in solving multiple security concerns.

He stated, “There are three intelligence agencies in Nigeria: DSS, NIA, and DIA. The DIA’s budget should be increased as it provides both internal security and external intelligence.

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“So, they’re the only agency with those two caps. DSS is simply Nigerian, NIA is foreign, but DIA handles both. However, when comparing the budgets of the three organizations, it is surprising that DIA receives the least funding.

“So, we’re here today to examine what they’ve done with what little they have, but there’s a need to increase what they get so they can compete with DSS and NIA. This is the recommendation we are bringing away, and we will make certain that Mr. President, father of the nation, sees it.

“He should take DIA as his baby because they have so much potential. As you can see, insecurity has decreased dramatically in Nigeria, and the DIA has played a crucial role,” Benson added.