Military veterans have called on the Federal Government to immediately implement the approved ₦250,000 minimum wage for serving personnel, accusing authorities of delaying the execution of a salary review they said had already become law.
The demand was made on Monday during a retreat attended by more than 70 military veterans at the Armed Forces Headquarters Command Mess 1 in Abuja.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, was represented at the meeting by five senior military officers after reportedly attending another engagement at the Presidential Villa.
Speaking after the meeting, one of the organisers, retired Colonel Innocent Azubike, said the veterans submitted documents supporting their claims to the military representatives, who acknowledged the evidence and promised to brief the Chief of Defence Staff upon his return.
According to Azubike, the veterans were encouraged by the response of the officers and decided to allow about a week for feedback from the military leadership.
He expressed disappointment that the approved salary structure had yet to be implemented despite repeated assurances from government officials.
Azubike explained that the National Assembly approved a bill in October 2025 to review the salaries of serving and retired military personnel after a comparative study reportedly showed that Nigerian soldiers were among the lowest paid in Africa.
He said the legislation fixed ₦250,000 as the minimum salary for the least-paid soldier and directed that the required funds be included in the 2026 national budget.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu signed the bill into law in November 2025 and approved its implementation with three months’ arrears.
He added that following the presidential approval, officials of the Ministry of Defence and the military leadership publicly welcomed the decision and assured personnel that payment would begin soon.
However, the retired officers alleged that military authorities have recently denied knowledge of the approved salary increase and requested documents confirming its existence.
Azubike also criticized comments attributed to the Minister of Defence, who reportedly stated that the military minimum wage had only been increased from ₦49,000 to ₦100,000, insisting that the ₦100,000 figure was linked to the 2024 national minimum wage adjustment and not the separate military salary review approved in 2025.
The veterans reaffirmed their commitment to staging a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance to demand the release and implementation of the approved funds.
They said preparations for the protest were ongoing and urged the Federal Government to honour its commitment by implementing the new salary structure for serving military personnel without further delay.
