Push for better salary for military personnel – Ndume tells CDS, other service chiefs
Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has called on the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, and other service chiefs to advocate for improved welfare and remuneration for military personnel to strengthen morale and enhance national security efforts.
In a statement released Thursday in Abuja, following the decoration of the new service chiefs by President Bola Tinubu, Ndume stressed that adequate compensation is vital to sustaining the commitment of troops combating insurgency, banditry, and other security threats.
The Senate had on Wednesday confirmed Oluyede alongside Major General Waidi Shaibu (Army), Rear Admiral Ibrahim Abbas (Navy), and Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke (Air Force), marking a new phase in the nation’s security leadership.
He said: “I have identified four pillars that would make our military formidable at all times and keep security threats in abeyance. This is what I have tagged as TEAM. The first is Training, second is Equipment, Ammunitions and Motivations, in that order.”
The lawmaker also advocated that the present administration should ensure that the military budget be accorded priority by being placed in the First Line Charge.
“The annual budget of the Armed Forces and Other Security forces should be in the First Line Charge and it shouldn’t be discretionary. They should be front loaded.”
Arguing further for better remuneration, the former Senate Leader noted that the salary and allowances of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces are nothing to write home about compared with their counterparts in neighboring West African states.
“In Ghana, the entry-level pay for a private soldier is equivalent to about N180,000 per month; in South Africa, the basic pay for enlisted personnel starts at about N250,000 monthly (converted).
“In Egypt, junior enlisted officers earn the equivalent of N230,000–N280,000 monthly; and in Kenya, a private earns about N200,000, excluding operational allowances.
“In Nigeria, the average private soldier earns significantly less despite higher deployment frequency and operational demands.
“The current remuneration and minimum entry-level wage for many personnel across these services have been outpaced by rising living costs, with knock-on effects on morale, recruitment, retention, and operational effectiveness—particularly for personnel deployed in high-risk theatres and remote locations.”
