Former Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, has urged the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, and other service chiefs to prioritise improved welfare and remuneration for troops as a key step toward strengthening national security.
Ndume, who chaired the Senate Committee on Army in the 9th Assembly, made the call on Thursday in Abuja shortly after President Bola Tinubu decorated the service chiefs with their new ranks.
He warned that poor pay and welfare remain major factors undermining morale and operational effectiveness within the Armed Forces, saying a comprehensive review of soldiers’ earnings was long overdue.
“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,” he said.
Comparing Nigeria’s military pay structure to that of other African countries, the Borno North senator described the disparity as “embarrassing and demotivating.”
“In Ghana, the entry-level pay for a private soldier is equivalent to about N180,000 per month; in South Africa, about N250,000; in Egypt, between N230,000 and N280,000; and in Kenya, about N200,000—excluding allowances. But in Nigeria, the average private earns far less despite higher deployment frequency and tougher operational demands,” he lamented.
I have identified four pillars that would make our military formidable and keep security threats at bay. I call it TEAM — Training, Equipment, Ammunition, and Motivation — in that order,” he said.
He further appealed to the Tinubu administration to prioritise defence funding by placing it on the first line charge, ensuring prompt and predictable release of funds.
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