The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, a retired army general, has raised the hope of personnel of the Armed Forces of enhanced remuneration, hinting that President Bola Tinubu will soon announce another salary increase for them.
Musa disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a one-day training and financial empowerment workshop for widows and wives of service personnel.
The minister said the proposed increase was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve troop welfare and reward the sacrifices of military personnel.
According to Musa, “I want to state here that a few weeks ago, I mentioned that soldiers are now receiving N100,000.
“When I was Chief of Defence Staff, soldiers were receiving N49,000. About two years ago, I pushed for an increase to N100,000, and that was achieved. We are however, making further efforts to increase it again.
“I am confident that very soon Mr President will announce another salary increase for our men.”
Speaking at a workshop with the theme, “Renewed Hope for Families of the Armed Forces of Nigeria Through Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development”, organised by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, Musa said the programme reflected government’s commitment to the economic well-being of military families.
He noted that while troops confronted complex security challenges and spend long periods away from home, the government however recognised the role of their spouses and dependants in sustaining morale.
“To the spouses gathered here today, your resilience, patience and steadfast support give your loved ones the confidence to remain focused on their responsibilities.
“To our widows whose husbands served Nigeria with honour, your strength and perseverance in the face of loss remain an enduring source of inspiration,” he said.
Musa added that a strong military was built not only on capable personnel and modern equipment, but also on stable and economically secured families.
In his remarks, the Director-General of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, disclosed that the agency had disbursed not less than N25 million to 500 widows and wives of soldiers serving on the frontline, adding that that the intervention aligned with President Tinubu’s N200 billion enterprise intervention fund, which included a N50 billion in grant for nano-businesses.
Odii, who explained that the grant was not a one-off intervention, stated that beneficiaries who invests productively would qualify for additional support.
“If you take the seed money we are giving you, invest it in your business, and the business grows, we will come back here in another year and double the amount,” the DG assured.
