Tinubu Approves New Nigerian Military Pay, General to Earn N3.25m Monthly

• President Tinubu approved a new salary structure for Nigeria's Armed Forces, effective September 1, 2026
• The new package covers roughly 250,000 military personnel, with pay rises ranging from 30% to 80% depending on rank
• Nigeria's annual military salary bill is set to jump by N264 billion once the new structure takes full effect

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a sweeping overhaul of the salary structure for Nigeria's Armed Forces, with a General set to earn N3.25 million ($2,388) monthly and a Private's pay rising to N187,200 ($137.59) under the new arrangement.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed the approval in an official statement.

The revised pay structure takes effect from September 1, 2026, and applies to approximately 250,000 military personnel across all ranks and services.

The scale of increases varies considerably by rank. Senior officers above Colonel, including Brigadier-Generals, Major-Generals, Lieutenant-Generals, and Generals, will receive salary adjustments at the lower end of the range, pegged at 30%.

Read also

Gold earns Ghana over $20.2 billion in 2025, more than Cocoa and Crude Oil combined

Lower-ranked personnel stand to benefit far more substantially, with increases in some categories reaching as high as 80%.

The structure is designed to address longstanding concerns about the welfare of service personnel, particularly amid the pressures of rising living costs across Nigeria.

N264 Billion Increase in Annual Military Wage Bill

The financial implications for the federal government are significant.

Nigeria's annual salary expenditure for the Armed Forces will rise from N660 billion to N924 billion once the new pay rates are fully implemented, representing an additional N264 billion per year.

The approval marks a notable shift in the federal government's approach to military compensation, bringing remuneration levels closer to the economic realities that service personnel face daily.

Source: YEN.com.gh