Defence Minister says Nigerian soldiers’ minimum monthly pay rises to ₦100,000

Security analyst, retired Major Muhammad Bashir Galma has described the Federal Government’s decision to increase the soldiers minimum salary to ₦100,000 as a positive development, saying it could boost the morale of troops fighting insurgency and other security threats. However, he argued that the increase is still inadequate given the country’s current economic realities. In […] Despite pay rise, N100,000 salary still inadequate for soldiers — Ex-military officers

Christopher Musa, the minister of defence, says the federal government has increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from N49,000 to N100,000 to improve their welfare.   Musa spoke on Wednesday during an interview with News Central ahead of the broadcast of its NC Exclusive programme on Friday.   The minister, who previously served as the chief of defence staff (CDS), said the military remains underfunded despite the improvement in personnel welfare.   “When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard; now he’s collecting N100,000,” he said.     While acknowledging that the current defence budget is inadequate, he said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration has significantly increased military personnel’s salaries.   He also called for the death penalty for kidnappers, saying stiffer punishment is needed to deter the rising incidence of abductions across the country.   “I think we should do that. There must be deterrence. The laws are soft, and that’s why people take advantage. If they know once you commit an offence, there must be punishment,” he said.     Speaking on the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo state, the minister described the incident as unfortunate, alleging that the kidnappers were attempting to pressure the military into releasing some of their detained commanders.   According to him, the abductors also threatened to kill the children if security forces intensified rescue efforts.   “You know, it’s a very sad event. Unfortunately, bad things do happen. For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us, and they feel taking these kids and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander,” he said.   “They are now threatening that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids,” he added.   The minister also dismissed allegations that soldiers are poorly fed, insisting that claims circulating in the public space are misleading.   Referring to an incident involving an influencer identified as Justice Crack, Musa said the officer in the video deliberately created a false impression about the quality of meals served to soldiers.   “The soldier’s food was okay. There was meat; there was all this. But he told them to pull out those things and make it look as if those things were not there,” he added.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, has said the monthly salary of a Nigerian soldier has increased from N49,000 to N100,000 as part of efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel. Mr Musa spoke while appearing on News Central TV. Responding to questions whether the salary would be sufficient for the troops, he […] The post “Soldiers Salary Now N100,000 Monthly, From N49,000” – Defence Minister appeared first on Information Nigeria.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has announced that Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of ₦100,000 following a recent welfare review by the Federal Government. Musa, a former Chief of Defence Staff, disclosed this during an interview on News Central on Wednesday. He noted that soldiers previously earned ₦49,000 monthly before the increment. While acknowledging the improvement in personnel welfare, the minister admitted that the military remains underfunded overall. When asked about the adequacy of the current defence budget, he replied simply, “It’s not enough.” In the same interview, Musa advocated for the introduction of the death penalty for kidnappers, arguing that stiffer punishments are needed to deter the rising wave of abductions across the country. He said current laws are too lenient, encouraging criminals to take advantage. Commenting on the recent abduction of pupils in Oyo State, the minister described the incident as unfortunate. He alleged that the kidnappers were using the children as leverage to force the release of some of their detained commanders and had threatened to kill them if security forces intensified rescue efforts. Musa also dismissed circulating allegations of poor feeding in the military, describing some claims as misleading. He cited an incident involving a soldier identified as Justice Crack, alleging the officer deliberately misrepresented the quality of meals served to troops. 

Defence Minister Christopher Musa confirms Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum of N100,000 monthly after a recent welfare review. Learn more about soldier Read More: https://punchng.com/soldiers-now-earn-n100000-monthly-says-defence-minister/