Soldiers Now Earn N100,000 Monthly, Says Defence Minister

The soldiers earn N100,000 monthly policy has taken effect after the Federal Government increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from N49,000 to N100,000. The government said the move aims to improve troop welfare and boost morale.

Minister of Defence Mohammed Christopher Musa announced the salary increase during an interview with News Central. He described it as part of the current administration’s efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.

According to Musa, the government successfully raised the minimum salary despite financial challenges. He said soldiers who previously earned N49,000 now receive N100,000 every month.

For years, concerns over low pay, poor housing, delayed benefits and rising living costs have affected military personnel. The soldiers earn N100,000 monthly increase forms part of broader welfare reforms to address those concerns.

Musa also rejected claims that soldiers receive poor meals. He described viral social media reports as misleading.

He alleged that a viral video involving a military officer known as Justice Crack was manipulated to create a false impression about the quality of food served to troops.

According to the minister, the meal shown in the video originally contained meat and other food items, but they were removed before filming to mislead the public.

He added that the government remains committed to improving troop welfare, increasing security funding and strengthening military operations against insecurity.

Despite the reforms, many Nigerians continue to call for greater investment in military equipment, intelligence gathering and personnel welfare.

Musa admitted that Nigeria’s current defence budget is not enough to meet the growing demands on the Armed Forces. However, he said the government would continue investing in the military’s welfare and operational capacity.

The minister also called for the death penalty for convicted kidnappers. He argued that tougher punishment would discourage the rising wave of abductions because existing penalties have failed to deter criminals.

Speaking on the recent kidnapping of schoolchildren in Oyo State, Musa claimed the abductors wanted to force the military to release some of their commanders in custody.

He described the incident as tragic and accused the kidnappers of using innocent children as bargaining tools. He also said the kidnappers threatened to kill the victims if security forces moved closer to their hideout.