Nigeria: Tinubu raises military salaries by 80% for 250,000 soldiers amid persistent insecurity

The Nigerian government will raise military salaries by up to 80% starting September 1, 2026, a measure announced by President Bola Tinubu's administration to improve the well-being of troops engaged against insurgents, armed gangs, and kidnappers. According to Daba Finance, approximately 250,000 members of the armed forces will benefit from this new salary scale. The presidency has not detailed the breakdown of the increase by rank nor the total budgetary cost of the measure. This wage hike comes as the Nigerian military fights on multiple fronts: the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgency in the northeast, armed gangs and mass kidnappings in the northwest and center, and separatist tensions in the southeast. Nigeria holds one of the highest defense budgets in sub-Saharan Africa, rising steadily since Tinubu came to power in May 2023. For the troops, the increase restores purchasing power after inflation exceeded 30% annually following the removal of fuel subsidies and the liberalization of the naira. For the state, it adds to public expenditure financed in part by volatile oil revenues. The devaluation of the naira since 2023 had eroded soldiers' real pay, fueling risks of demoralization in an already fragile security context against armed groups from the neighboring Sahel. By raising salaries, Abuja seeks to consolidate the loyalty of its forces while demonstrating its ability to absorb an increased wage burden despite fiscal pressure linked to oil prices.