- Military veterans demanded immediate implementation of the approved ₦250,000 minimum wage
- They accused the government of delaying enforcement of the salary review
- The veterans vowed to continue with plans for a peaceful protest if the delay persists
Military veterans have called on the Federal Government to immediately implement the approved ₦250,000 minimum wage for serving members of the Armed Forces, accusing authorities of delaying the enforcement of a law they say has already received presidential approval.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the the demand was made on Monday during a retreat attended by more than 70 retired military personnel at the Armed Forces Headquarters Command Mess 1 in Abuja.
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Although the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, was unable to attend because of an engagement at the Presidential Villa, he delegated five senior military officers to represent him.
One of the organisers of the meeting, retired Colonel Innocent Azubike, said the veterans submitted documents supporting their claims to the military representatives, who acknowledged the evidence and promised to brief the Chief of Defence Staff upon his return.
According to Azubike, the officers admitted that the issues raised by the veterans were valid and assured them that their report would be delivered without delay.
He said the veterans were encouraged by the response and agreed to wait about a week for feedback from the CDS before deciding on their next step.
Azubike explained that the National Assembly approved a bill in October 2025 to review the salaries of serving and retired military personnel after findings showed that Nigerian soldiers were among the least paid in Africa.
He noted that the legislation fixed ₦250,000 as the minimum salary for the lowest-ranking soldier, while funds for its implementation were included in the 2026 national budget.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu signed the bill into law in November 2025 and directed that payment should take effect with three months of arrears.
He added that the Presidency publicly announced the approval, while the Ministry of Defence and military leadership also assured personnel that implementation would begin shortly.
However, the retired officers expressed concern that military authorities had recently denied knowledge of the approved salary review and requested documentary proof of its existence.
Azubike criticised comments attributed to the Minister of Defence, who reportedly stated that the President raised the military minimum wage from ₦49,000 to ₦100,000, insisting that the statement referred only to the 2024 national minimum wage adjustment and not the separate military salary review approved in 2025.
The veterans maintained that they would continue preparations for a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance to demand the release and implementation of the approved salary structure.
They said the planned demonstration would proceed if the authorities failed to act, adding that contributions were already being gathered to support the mobilisation.
The retired officers urged the Federal Government to honour its commitment by implementing the approved pay package and fulfilling its promises to serving members of the Armed Forces.
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