The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has voiced strong support for President Bola Tinubu following the approval of a landmark wage review that will see Nigerian military personnel receive salary increases of between 30 and 80 per cent.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, Musa praised the President’s decision as a major boost to operational effectiveness that directly addresses financial pressures facing personnel across all service branches.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has once again demonstrated unwavering leadership and empathy for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line daily,” Musa said, adding that by increasing annual personnel costs from ₦660 billion to ₦924 billion, the President had “matched words with concrete action.”
The defence chief emphasised that the alleviation of financial strain would be felt throughout active conflict zones. He noted that the decision would “resonate across every theatre of operation”, benefiting personnel confronting insurgency in the North-East as well as those combating banditry, oil theft, and kidnapping in other regions.
Pledging the commitment of the defence establishment, Musa assured both the President and the Nigerian public that the enhanced pay would “be met with renewed vigour, uncompromising discipline and heightened operational effectiveness.”
Musa called on all service members across the Army, Navy, and Air Force to treat the revised pay structure as a fresh charge to intensify anti-insecurity operations and safeguard lives nationwide. He also reaffirmed his ministry’s determination to advance the President’s wider defence agenda, including equipment modernisation, technological upgrades, and improved welfare support for troops and their families.
The government’s salary review, announced on Tuesday in recognition of the sacrifices made in anti-terrorism and anti-banditry operations, takes effect from 1 September 2026.
Under the graduated pay scale, approximately 250,000 personnel will benefit: junior ranks from private to staff sergeant receive an 80 per cent increase, warrant officers to colonels receive 50 per cent, and senior officers from brigadier-general to full general see a 30 per cent rise.