NEWS
FG Doubles Soldiers’ Minimum Salary From ₦49,000 to ₦100,000, Defence Minister Admits Military Still Underfunded
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has disclosed that the Federal Government has increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from ₦49,000 to ₦100,000 as part of ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.
Musa made the revelation during an interview with News Central on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, ahead of the broadcast of its NC Exclusive programme scheduled for Friday, July 10, 2026.
Despite the significant salary increase, the Defence Minister acknowledged that the Nigerian military continues to face funding challenges, maintaining that the current defence budget is inadequate to fully cater to the operational and welfare needs of the armed forces.
Responding to a question on whether the existing budget was sufficient, Musa admitted that “It’s not enough.”
He explained that improving the welfare of soldiers remains a major priority for the Federal Government, pointing to the recent salary review as evidence of that commitment.
Highlighting the government’s efforts to enhance the welfare of rank-and-file soldiers, he stated, “When they started, a soldier was collecting ₦49,000 monthly. We tried so hard; now he’s collecting ₦100,000.”
The minister also dismissed allegations that Nigerian soldiers are poorly fed, describing claims made by social media influencer Justice Mark Chidiebere, popularly known as Justice Crack, as misleading.
According to Musa, the influencer deliberately manipulated videos circulated online by allegedly directing soldiers to remove portions of their meals before recording the footage in order to create a false impression of poor welfare conditions.
He alleged, “The soldiers’ food was okay. There was meat and other things, but he told them to pull them out and make it look like those things were not there.”
Justice Crack was arrested in March alongside several soldiers after posting videos alleging poor feeding and poor welfare conditions within the Nigerian Army.
Following the arrest, the Army said its investigation revealed that the influencer engaged soldiers in conversations capable of inciting discontent and undermining military discipline, contrary to the Armed Forces’ social media policy.
While the soldiers involved were kept in military custody, Justice Crack was handed over to civil authorities for further investigation and prosecution over alleged misinformation.
The Nigerian Army further accused the influencer of encouraging soldiers to misrepresent their welfare conditions in an attempt to spread false narratives about the military.
In May, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted Justice Crack bail in the sum of ₦5 million with one sure
ty as his trial continues.