Private to N187,200, General to N3.25m: Tinubu approves new military salary structure

President Bola Tinubu has approved a new salary structure for Nigeria’s 250,000 Armed Forces personnel effective September 1, 2026, raising monthly pay from N187,200 for a Private to N3.25 million for a General — with increases ranging from 30 per cent for senior officers to 80 per cent for lower ranks, according to a Daily Trust analysis.

The review will increase the annual military salary bill from N660 billion to N924 billion.

“The men and women who help to keep us safe must be supported,” Tinubu said. Civil society organisations had previously questioned whether existing pay was sufficient for soldiers confronting banditry, kidnapping and terrorism amid Nigeria’s rising cost of living.