Military veterans have renewed calls for the immediate implementation of the approved N250,000 minimum wage for serving personnel, accusing the Federal Government of delaying the execution of a salary review law they said was passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
The demand was made on Monday during a retreat attended by more than 70 military veterans at the Armed Forces Headquarters Command Mess 1, Abuja.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, who was expected to attend the meeting, was represented by five senior military officers, as he was reportedly attending an engagement at the Presidential Villa.
Speaking after the meeting, one of the organisers, Col. Innocent Azubike (retd.), said the veterans presented documentary evidence supporting their claims to the military representatives, who acknowledged the submissions and pledged to brief the CDS immediately.
“The five generals who represented the CDS collected the documents presented by the veterans and accepted that what we said were facts. They assured us that they would submit their report to the CDS immediately he returns from the State House,” Azubike said.
“We are encouraged that they acknowledged the issues we raised and we are prepared to wait about a week for a response from the CDS after he receives the report,” he added.
Azubike expressed disappointment that despite repeated assurances from government officials, the approved salary structure had yet to be implemented months after its passage.
According to him, the National Assembly in October 2025 passed a bill reviewing the salaries of serving and retired military personnel following a comparative assessment which reportedly showed that Nigerian soldiers earned the lowest salaries among their counterparts in several African countries.
“The Senate passed a bill for the upward review of the pay of serving and retired military personnel, and the House of Representatives concurred.
Before passing the bill, a comparative study of military pay scales across some African countries revealed that Nigeria’s was the lowest,” he said.
He explained that the Senate fixed N250,000 as the minimum salary for the least-paid soldier and directed that the required funds be captured in the 2026 budget, a provision he said was subsequently made.
Azubike further stated that President Tinubu assented to the bill in November 2025 and approved implementation with three months’ arrears.
“The President signed the bill into law in November 2025 and directed that it should take effect with three months’ arrears from the date of signing. This was publicly announced by the Presidency and widely reported,” he said.
“Following that, the Ministry of Defence and the Service Chiefs publicly thanked the President and assured both serving and retired personnel that payment would commence shortly.”
The retired officers, however, alleged that military authorities had recently distanced themselves from the approved salary review.
“Suddenly, in July 2026, the CDS and the Ministry of Defence appeared to deny knowledge of the increment and began asking us to produce documents proving its existence,” Azubike alleged.
He also faulted a recent statement by the Minister of Defence, who, according to him, claimed that the President only increased the military minimum wage from N49,000 to N100,000.
“The Minister of Defence, who was the CDS when the bill was passed and who championed it, recently stated that the President increased military minimum wage from N49,000 to N100,000.
That claim caused concern among serving and retired personnel because it does not reflect the approved salary review,” he said.
Azubike clarified that the N100,000 salary benchmark resulted from the nationwide minimum wage adjustment introduced in 2024 and was separate from the military salary review approved in November 2025.
The veterans reiterated their resolve to proceed with a planned peaceful protest to demand the implementation of the new pay structure and seek clarification on funds appropriated for the exercise.
“We remain determined to stage a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance to ascertain what has become of the approved salary increase and the funds allocated for its implementation,” he said.
“We believe that once the matter is brought directly to the attention of the President through lawful protest, the necessary action will be taken and the funds released.”
He disclosed that preparations for the protest were ongoing and that donations were still being received to support mobilisation efforts should authorities fail to act promptly.
The veterans consequently urged the Federal Government to honour its commitments to members of the Armed Forces by immediately implementing the approved salary structure for serving military personnel.
