By Isiaka Mustapha, Abuja
Military veterans have called on the Federal Government to immediately
implement the approved N250,000 minimum salary for serving military
personnel, expressing frustration over what they described as prolonged delays despite legislative approval and presidential assent.
70 military veterans at the Armed Forces Headquarters Command Mess 1
in Abuja
Speaking after the meeting, one of the organisers, Col. Innocent
Azubike (rtd), said the veterans presented documents detailing the
approved salary review to the officers representing the CDS.
According to him, the military representatives acknowledged the
submissions and assured the veterans that the documents would be
forwarded to the CDS upon his return from the State House.
Azubike explained that the controversy stemmed from a salary review
bill passed by the National Assembly in October 2025 following a
comparative assessment of military remuneration across several African
countries.
According to him, the study revealed that Nigerian military personnel
were among the lowest-paid on the continent, prompting lawmakers to
approve a new salary structure that fixed N250,000 as the minimum pay
for the least-ranked soldier.
“The Senate approved an upward review of salaries for serving and
retired military personnel, while the House of Representatives
concurred. The review established N250,000 as the minimum salary for
the lowest-paid soldier, and provision for its implementation was
included in the 2026 budget,” he stated.
Azubike further noted that President Bola Tinubu assented to the bill
in November 2025 and directed that the implementation should include
three months of arrears from the date of approval.
He recalled that following the presidential assent, officials of the
Ministry of Defence and military service chiefs publicly expressed
appreciation to the President and assured personnel that payment would
commence in due course.
The retired officers, however, alleged that military authorities later
appeared to distance themselves from the approved salary increase by
requesting evidence of the legislation and its provisions.
According to Azubike, the situation became more concerning when the
Minister of Defence reportedly stated that the military minimum wage
had been increased from N49,000 to N100,000, a claim the veterans
insist is unrelated to the salary review approved in 2025.
He explained that the N100,000 figure emerged from the implementation
of the 2024 national minimum wage and should not be confused with the
separate military salary adjustment approved by the National Assembly
and signed into law by the President.
The veterans accused the Federal Government of failing to implement a
law that had already completed the legislative process and received
presidential approval, arguing that continued delays were creating
uncertainty among both serving and retired military personnel.
Consequently, they reaffirmed plans to embark on a peaceful protest at
the Federal Ministry of Finance to demand clarification on the status
of the approved salary increase and the funds appropriated for its
implementation.
