The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has said Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of N100,000 following a recent review of their welfare by the Federal Government

Defence Minister Christopher Musa has announced that Nigerian soldiers will now earn a minimum monthly salary of ₦100,000, following a federal government welfare review, according to a breaking news claim shared widely on X.

The development marks a major shift from 2023, when Musa himself said troops were earning below ₦50,000 per month. The increase is tied to salary reviews carried out under President Bola Tinubu’s administration in 2026, which reportedly doubled basic pay and improved the timeliness of allowances for armed forces personnel.

In 2023, Musa publicly flagged the poor pay of rank-and-file soldiers as a morale and retention issue, noting that many personnel struggled with family upkeep while deployed in high-risk zones. At the time, he said the figure was “below ₦50,000 monthly” for many soldiers.

The 2026 review, according to the latest claim, addresses that gap. The new ₦100,000 minimum is said to cover basic salary before allowances such as hazard pay, field allowance, and ration cash. The government also pledged faster payment of allowances, a long-standing complaint among troops in the Northeast, Northwest, and North Central.

The Ministry of Defence has not released a full breakdown of the new pay structure at the time of filing this report.

On X, reactions were swift and largely skeptical. Many users acknowledged the increase but argued that ₦100,000 remains inadequate given Nigeria’s inflation, rising food and transport costs, and the dangers soldiers face fighting banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping gangs.

“₦100k in 2026 with this inflation? For someone facing bullets in Sambisa or the forests of Zamfara? That’s still poor,” one user wrote. Others compared it to police and civil service benchmarks, saying frontline troops deserve a wage that reflects risk.

Some military families welcomed the timeliness pledge. “The money is one thing. Getting it on time, without deductions, is another,” a spouse commented.

Nigeria’s security forces have been under pressure to sustain operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP remnants in Borno, bandits in the Northwest, and armed groups across the Middle Belt. Troop welfare, including pay, insurance, housing, and medical care, has been a recurring demand from advocacy groups.

Analysts say pay raises alone will not solve morale issues without improvements in equipment, rotation, medical cover, and post-service benefits. “You can double salary, but if allowances are delayed and families are not supported, trust breaks down,” a security analyst noted…See More