By Taiwo Scholastica
Over 250,000 security personnel across the Nigerian Armed Forces are set to receive pay raises of up to 30 percent and higher under a newly approved salary structure announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, taking effect from September 1, 2026.
The adjustment, detailed in a statement shared on X by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, aims to enhance the welfare of military officers and men confronting key national security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.
Under the new pay structure, senior officers including brigadier-generals, major-generals, lieutenant-generals, and full generals will receive a 30 percent salary increase.
Middle-tier personnel from the rank of colonel down to warrant officer will see a 50 percent raise, while lower ranks from private to staff sergeant will receive an 80 percent adjustment.
The implementation will expand the nation’s annual military wage bill from N660 billion to N924 billion, reinforcing the administration’s broader strategy to boost morale, mitigate rising living costs, and modernise the armed forces.
“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,” President Tinubu stated, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to equipping and sustaining the country’s security architecture.