Key Takeaways
- The Presidency said President Bola Tinubu approved a new military salary package, raising pay for about 250,000 personnel by 30 to 80 per cent.
- The salary review, effective from September 1, 2026, will raise annual Armed Forces personnel costs from ₦660bn to ₦924bn, adding ₦264bn.
- SDP and NNPP leaders welcomed the hike, but Labour Party and Obidient Movement questioned the timing, while Senator Orji Uzor Kalu praised it as timely.
Opposition political parties have expressed differing views over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a new salary package for members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, with some describing it as a welcome boost to troop welfare while others questioned the timing of the decision.
The reactions followed Tuesday’s announcement by the Presidency that salaries for about 250,000 military personnel would increase by between 30 and 80 per cent, with effect from September 1, 2026.
According to the Presidency, the review will increase the annual personnel cost of the Armed Forces from ₦660bn to ₦924bn, representing an additional ₦264bn.
Under the new structure, officers above the rank of colonel will receive a 30 per cent increase, personnel from colonel to warrant officer will earn 50 per cent more, while soldiers from private to staff sergeant will benefit from an 80 per cent salary increase.
According to The PUNCH, reacting to the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party would not politicise policies aimed at strengthening national security.
“National security takes preeminence over politics, and every government direction, decision or policy towards enhancing national security is a welcome development,” he said.
Aiyenigba added that the focus should be on the outcome of the policy, stressing that the SDP had consistently advocated greater investment in Nigeria’s security architecture.
Similarly, the National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Major Agbo, said the welfare of security personnel should not be viewed through partisan lenses.
“We are the ones crying that our security people are poorly remunerated. If somebody eventually now says, let them be paid more, why would anybody be talking about the timing?” he asked.
He commended the President for approving the salary review, saying better remuneration would improve the motivation of troops.
The Labour Party and the Obidient Movement, however, questioned the motive behind the salary increase despite acknowledging its benefits.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Ken Asogwa, described the decision as overdue but suggested it was politically motivated.
“It looks like it’s a political move done to score some political points,” Asogwa said.
“As long as it benefits the Nigerian servicemen who are putting their lives on the line to protect citizens, it is a welcome development.”
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, also said the President’s motive would inevitably come under scrutiny because of what he described as the administration’s political record.
“As far as we are concerned, we only want the lives of our servicemen to be comfortable in their duties because they have sacrificed a lot,” Tanko said.
“At the same time, we do not want them to be induced against the interests of the general public.”
Meanwhile, the senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, praised the salary increase, describing it as a timely intervention that reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the welfare of military personnel.
“The decision by President Bola Tinubu to approve a salary increase for members of the Nigerian Armed Forces deserves commendation. It reflects an understanding that the welfare of those who defend our nation should remain a priority,” Kalu said.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency, Abdulrazak Namdas, described the package as a major morale booster for troops.
He also commended Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, saying the measures would strengthen security, particularly in border communities across the country.
