President Bola Tinubu has approved a new salary package for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, with pay increases ranging from 30 to 80 per cent across different ranks in a move aimed at improving troop welfare and boosting morale amid ongoing security challenges.
Gatekeepers News reports that the approval, announced by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, will take effect from September 1, 2026, and is expected to benefit about 250,000 military personnel. Under the new structure, officers above the rank of colonel, including brigadier generals, major generals, lieutenant generals and generals, will receive a 30 per cent salary increase. Personnel from colonel down to warrant officer will get a 50 per cent increase, while those from private to staff sergeant will receive the highest adjustment of 80 per cent.
The Federal Government said the review will raise the Armed Forces’ annual wage bill from ₦660 billion to ₦924 billion. According to Onanuga, the decision reflects the administration’s commitment to rewarding the sacrifices of military personnel and strengthening the country’s security architecture through improved welfare.
Reacting to the development, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Ahmad Lawan, described the salary increase as a welcome intervention, expressing optimism that it would motivate troops and enhance their commitment to combating insurgency, banditry and other security threats across the country.
