Veterans Threaten Protest Over Delayed ₦250,000 Minimum Wage for Soldiers

A coalition of over 70 retired military officers gathered in Abuja to demand that the Federal Government implement the ₦250,000 baseline wage for serving soldiers as approved by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Tinubu in November 2025. The veterans say the pay adjustment bill included three months of backdated arrears in the 2026 budget, but defence authorities are now denying knowledge of the new salary scale. They clarified that the recent reference to ₦100,000 by the Defence Minister relates only to the general national minimum wage, not the military pay review. Retreat organizer Colonel Innocent Azubike (retd.) outlined how a comparative study showed Nigerian troops were the lowest paid in Africa, prompting lawmakers to fix the soldier’s minimum wage at ₦250,000. Despite repeated public assurances, no payments have begun. The retired officers have given defence headquarters one week for a formal response. Failing that, they plan a peaceful demonstration at the Federal Ministry of Finance to press for the release of the approved funds.

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