Soldiers Now Earn ₦100,000 Monthly Salary, Says Defence Minister
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has disclosed that Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of ₦100,000, up from ₦49,000, as part of efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.
Speaking during an interview on News Central on Wednesday, Musa said the Federal Government has made significant improvements in soldiers’ welfare, including better feeding, although the military remains underfunded.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting ₦49,000 monthly. We tried so hard. Now he’s collecting ₦100,000,” the minister said.
Musa also dismissed allegations that troops fighting insurgency are poorly fed. He referred to a viral video posted by social media critic Justice Crack, alleging that the content was deliberately staged to misrepresent the quality of food provided to soldiers.
According to the minister, the meal shown in the video originally contained meat and other food items, but these were allegedly removed before the recording to create a false impression.
On the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, Musa described the incident as unfortunate, alleging that the kidnappers were seeking to pressure the military into releasing some of their detained commanders.
He said the abductors had threatened to kill the children if security forces intensified rescue operations.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to rescuing the victims and sustaining efforts to improve the welfare and operational effectiveness of the nation’s armed forces.
