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Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged the new Chief of Defence Staff, Lt- General Olufemi Oluyede and the Service Chiefs to push for better remuneration for the Nigerian Armed Forces personnel to boost their motivation.
The lawmaker gave the advice on Thursday in a statement he issued in Abuja on the heels of 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 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.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday, decorated the new service chiefs at the presidential villa.
In his reaction, Ndame, the Senator representing Borno South who was former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army in the Ninth Senate, maintained that better remuneration was key in boosting the morale of the military in the fight against insurgency, banditry and other threats, inimical to security of lives and property of Nigerians.
He 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 N180,000 per month; in South Africa, the basic pay for enlisted personnel starts at about N250,000 monthly (converted).
“In Egypt, junior enlisted officers earn the equivalent of N230,000–N280,000 monthly; and in Kenya, a private earns about N200,000, 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.”
Push for better salary for military personnel – Ndume to CDS, other service chiefs
