Tinubu approves up to 80% salary hike for Nigeria military

President Bola Tinubu has approved a significant salary increase ranging from 30 to 80 percent for Nigeria's armed forces personnel, a move announced on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, and aimed at boosting troop welfare amid persistent security challenges. The new pay structure, set to take effect on September 1, 2026, will benefit approximately 250,000 officers and enlisted personnel across the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force, raising the federal government's annual military wage bill from 660 billion naira to 924 billion naira.

The increases are structured by rank, with senior officers above the rank of colonel, including brigadier generals, major generals, lieutenant generals, and generals, receiving a 30 percent raise. Personnel from the rank of colonel down to warrant officer will see their salaries increase by 50 percent. The largest adjustment, an 80 percent increase, is reserved for junior enlisted ranks from private to staff sergeant.

Announced by presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga, the decision is framed as a recognition of the armed forces' sacrifices in confronting multiple security crises across the nation. These include Islamist insurgencies by groups such as Boko...