President Bola Tinubu has approved salary increases of between 30 and 80 per cent for the members of Nigeria’s Armed Forces.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed in a statement on Tuesday, said the pay package will benefit approximately 250,000 personnel with effect from September 1, 2026.
According to Onanuga, the graduated structure of the increase scales inversely with rank, with the highest percentage increases going to the most junior personnel.
He said under the new arrangement, officers above the rank of colonel, Brigadier-Generals, Major-Generals, Lieutenant-Generals and Generals, will receive a 30 per cent salary increase.
Personnel ranking from colonel down to warrant officer will receive a 50 per cent increase, while those from private to staff sergeant will receive an 80 per cent increase.
He, however, added that the pay package would raise the annual salary bill for the Armed Forces from N660billion to N924 billion, an increase of N264 billion.
President Tinubu attributed the pay rise directly to the sacrifices military personnel continue to make in the fight against banditry, kidnapping and terrorism across parts of the country.
“The men and women who help to keep us safe in our homes must be supported and appreciated in the course of their duties to our nation,”the statement partly read.
Tinubu assured that troop welfare and military modernisation remain a standing priority of his administration.
“Our administration will continue to prioritise troop welfare and modernise the armed forces by providing the weapons and technological tools needed to discharge their duties,” he said.
Tinubu further tied the salary increase to his broader philosophy on national security, saying, “Our administration believes that no nation can achieve greatness without security. We therefore remain resolute in mobilising all military and law enforcement assets to eliminate security threats and protect the lives and property of all Nigerians.
“I urge our servicemen to take our gesture as a sign of our deep appreciation of the services they render to our fatherland.
“Together we shall prevail over the enemies intent on destroying the fabric of our nation.”
