Former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has asked the Service Chiefs and Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, the incoming Chief of Defence Staff, to advocate for increased compensation for Nigerian Armed Forces personnel in order to increase their motivation.
Following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decoration of the officers with their new levels, the lawmaker provided the recommendation in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
On Wednesday, the Senate vetted and approved the appointments of General Oluyede and three others.
The Red Chamber also confirmed Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff in addition to the new Chief of Defence Staff.
The new service chiefs were decorated at the presidential palace on Thursday by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In response, Ndame, a senator from Borno South and the former chairman of the Senate Committee on Army in the Ninth Senate, argued that increased compensation was essential to boosting military morale in the fight against banditry, insurgency, and other threats to Nigerians’ lives and property.
“I have identified four pillars that would make our military formidable at all times and keep security threats in abeyance,” he declared. I’ve marked this as TEAM. Training comes first, followed by ammunition, equipment, and motivations, in that order.
Additionally, the member argued that the current administration should make sure that the military budget is given priority by being assigned to the First Line Charge.
“The First Line Charge should oversee the annual budget for the armed forces and other security forces; it shouldn’t be left up to discretion. They ought to be loaded up front.
The former Senate Leader continued his argument for greater compensation by pointing out that, in comparison to their counterparts in nearby West African states, the salaries and benefits of Nigerian military officers and troops are nothing to write home about.
The basic salary for enlisted servicemen in South Africa is around N250,000 per month (converted), while the entry-level salary for a private soldier in Ghana is roughly N180,000 per month.
Junior enlisted officers in Egypt make between N230,000 and N280,000 per month, whereas a private in Kenya makes roughly N200,000, not including operating allowances.
Despite increased deployment frequency and operational difficulties, the average private soldier in Nigeria makes much less money.
“Rising living expenses have outpaced the current compensation and minimum entry-level wage for many personnel across these services, with knock-on effects on morale, recruitment, retention, and operational effectiveness—particularly for personnel deployed in high-risk theaters and remote locations.”
