A retired senior military officer has called for improved remuneration for Nigeria’s rank-and-file soldiers, arguing that a minimum monthly salary of ₦250,000 would more accurately reflect the country’s rising cost of living and the demands of military service.
Major General John Enenche, a former Director of Defence Information and now a military strategist, made the appeal during an interview on ARISE TV on Sunday monitored by The HR Anchor.
He argued that increasing soldiers’ pay is not a luxury but a necessity if Nigeria is to appropriately recognise and reward those serving on the frontline.
“For me, a Nigerian soldier from the base shouldn’t be paid anything less than ₦250,000 per month,” Enenche said.
He described the proposed figure as a modest benchmark after taking into account the day-to-day cost of living.
“Because if you prorate it against expectations, look at how much they spend on feeding. That is feeding alone. That is just a baseline for me,” he explained.
Enenche rejected the notion that the provision of barracks, uniforms, and military equipment means soldiers are adequately compensated. According to him, military service demands complete commitment in a way that distinguishes it from other public sector roles.
“A soldier is somebody that has sacrificed all. You have bought his time. A soldier is not a mercenary. So how can he go and buy his gun? It’s only a mercenary that will go and buy his gun and come and fight for you,” he said.
The retired general also stressed that military personnel remain effectively on call throughout their careers and even after retirement.
“No soldier is ever off-duty, even as I’m retired now. Chief of Defence Staff calls me now, ‘General Enenche, sir, we want you to…’ I would do it, even in retirement. Even this ₦250,000 I’m talking about is modest,” he said.
Highlighting the financial pressures faced by service personnel and their families, Enenche pointed to transportation costs as another reason for reviewing military salaries.
“Now, if a soldier’s wife wants to enter a vehicle, because they are not imprisoned in the barracks anyway, or the soldier wants to go out, what is transport fare now? There’s no transport fare in Abuja here that, as I was made to understand, that’s less than, on average, ₦1,000 to ₦2,000 to go somewhere.
“So, that is the consideration that I am looking at, and I’m proposing and requesting that modestly weigh it against other competing demands on the government. Yes, if they can, and I know, I believe it should be doable,” he said.
