The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has disclosed that the Federal Government has increased the salaries of Nigerian soldiers as part of efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.
Musa revealed during an interview that soldiers who previously earned about N49,000 monthly now receive a minimum salary of N100,000 following a review of their remuneration package.
The former Chief of Defence Staff, however, noted that despite the improvement in soldiers’ earnings and welfare, the military still faces funding challenges and requires more resources to effectively carry out its responsibilities.
When asked if the current defence budget was sufficient, the minister stated that it was still inadequate despite recent improvements.
Musa also rejected claims that soldiers are being poorly fed, describing such reports as inaccurate. He said the military provides adequate meals for personnel and referenced a recent controversy involving a dismissed officer, Justice Crack, whom he accused of intentionally creating a misleading impression about the condition of soldiers’ food.
According to the minister, the officer removed some items from the meals before recording the incident in a way that suggested soldiers were being served poor-quality food.
