Former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has urged the new Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, to demand better remuneration for Nigerian Armed Forces personnel to boost their motivation.
He asserted that better numeration is paramount in boosting the morale of the military in the fight against insurgency, banditry, and other threats that are inimical to the security of the lives and property of Nigerians.
The lawmaker gave the advice on Thursday in a statement he issued in Abuja on the heels of the decoration of the officers with their new ranks by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
General Oluyede and three others were screened and confirmed for their appointment by the Senate on Wednesday.
Aside from the new Chief of Defence Staff, others confirmed by the Red Chamber were Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff.
Reacting to the development, Ndume said, “I have identified four pillars that would make our military formidable at all times and keep security threats in abeyance. This is what I have tagged as TEAM. The first is Training, second is Equipment, Ammunitions and Motivations, in that order.”
The lawmaker also advocated that the present administration should ensure that the military budget be accorded priority by being placed in the First Line Charge.
“The annual budget of the Armed Forces and Other Security forces should be in the First Line Charge and it shouldn’t be discretionary. They should be front-loaded.”
Arguing further for better remuneration, the former Senate Leader noted that the salary and allowances of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces are nothing to write home about compared with their counterparts in neighboring West African states.
“In Ghana, the entry-level pay for a private soldier is equivalent to about ₦180,000 per month; in South Africa, the basic pay for enlisted personnel starts at about ₦250,000 monthly (converted).
“In Egypt, junior enlisted officers earn the equivalent of ₦230,000–₦280,000 monthly, and in Kenya, a private earns about ₦200,000, excluding operational allowances.
“In Nigeria, the average private soldier earns significantly less despite higher deployment frequency and operational demands.
“The current remuneration and minimum entry-level wage for many personnel across these services have been outpaced by rising living costs, with knock-on effects on morale, recruitment, retention, and operational effectiveness, particularly for personnel deployed in high-risk theatres and remote locations,” he said.
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