Nigeria Plans Military Pay Raise and Grants for Dependents

Minister of Defence Christopher Musa announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to soon declare a salary increase for Nigerian military personnel to improve troop welfare and morale. Speaking at an empowerment workshop in Abuja, Musa detailed his previous efforts as Chief of Defence Staff to raise soldiers' pay from N49,000 to N100,000 approximately two years ago. The upcoming raise follows pressure from retired officers and veterans seeking a minimum monthly salary of N250,000 to address current economic conditions.

Concurrent with the pay announcement, the Ministry of Defence and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) held a financial empowerment workshop for the wives and widows of service personnel at Lungi Barracks. During the event, SMEDAN Director-General Charles Odii announced the disbursement of N25 million in grants to 500 military dependents. This initiative is part of a larger N200 billion national enterprise intervention fund approved by President Tinubu to support various business tiers across the country.