Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has approved a sweeping pay increase for the country’s armed forces, with raises ranging from 30% to 80% depending on rank, the presidency said this week.
The new pay scale takes effect September 1 and will benefit roughly 250,000 personnel across the Army, Navy and Air Force, according to a statement from presidential aide Bayo Onanuga.
Under the revised structure, junior ranks stand to gain the most. Soldiers from private to staff sergeant will see an 80% increase, while warrant officers up to colonels get 50%. Generals and other senior officers above the rank of colonel will receive the smallest bump, at 30%.
The adjustment will push the military’s annual wage bill to ₦924 billion ($924bn naira), up from ₦660 billion, the presidency said.
Officials cast the raise as overdue recognition for troops battling jihadist insurgents, armed gangs and kidnapping networks across Nigeria’s north and other regions. Defence Minister Christopher Musa said he expected the pay rise to translate into sharper discipline and better results in the field.
By tilting the biggest percentage gains toward the lowest ranks, the policy breaks from the usual pattern in Nigerian public pay reviews, where flat percentage hikes typically favor those already earning the most.
Analysts note the move comes as Nigeria grapples with high inflation and a weaker naira, raising questions about how far the new salaries will stretch. A private’s monthly pay, for instance, is set to rise from around ₦100,000 to roughly ₦187,000 — an improvement, though still modest against the current cost of living.
