Veterans demand implementation of ₦250,000 minimum pay for soldiers

Military veterans have called on the Federal Government to immediately implement the approved ₦250,000 minimum salary for serving military personnel, accusing authorities of delaying the execution of a law they said had already been passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu.

The demand was made on Monday during a retreat attended by more than 70 retired military personnel at the Armed Forces Headquarters Command Mess 1 in Abuja.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, was represented at the meeting by five senior military officers, as he was attending another engagement at the Presidential Villa.

Speaking after the meeting, one of the organisers, retired Col. Innocent Azubike, said the veterans presented documents supporting their claims, which were accepted by the military representatives.

“The five generals who represented the CDS collected the documents and acknowledged that the issues raised by the veterans were factual. They assured us they would brief the CDS immediately after his return from the State House,” Azubike said.

He expressed optimism that the Defence Chief would respond within a week after receiving the report.

Azubike said the veterans were frustrated that, despite repeated assurances from government officials, the approved salary review had yet to be implemented.

According to him, the National Assembly passed a bill in October 2025 to increase the salaries of serving and retired military personnel after a comparative study showed Nigeria’s military pay was among the lowest in Africa.

He said the legislation fixed ₦250,000 as the minimum salary for the least-paid soldier and directed that funds for its implementation be captured in the 2026 budget.

Azubike added that President Tinubu assented to the bill in November 2025 and approved three months’ arrears from the date of signing.

He said the Ministry of Defence and the military high command had initially welcomed the approval and assured personnel that implementation would begin shortly.

However, the retired officers alleged that military authorities had recently denied knowledge of the salary increase.

According to Azubike, the Minister of Defence, who served as Chief of Defence Staff when the bill was processed, recently stated that the President increased the military minimum wage from ₦49,000 to ₦100,000, a claim the veterans described as inaccurate.

He argued that the ₦100,000 figure resulted from the 2024 national minimum wage adjustment and was separate from the military salary review approved in 2025.

The veterans also reaffirmed plans to stage a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance to demand the release of funds for the implementation of the new salary structure.

They urged the Federal Government to honour its commitment by immediately implementing the approved pay increase for serving military personnel.