Military veterans have called on the Federal Government to immediately implement the approved N250,000 minimum wage for serving military personnel, accusing authorities of delaying the execution of a law they said was duly passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu.

The demand was made on Monday during a retreat attended by more than 70 military veterans at the Armed Forces Headquarters Command Mess 1 in Abuja. Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, who was unable to attend, was represented by five senior military officers due to an engagement at the Presidential Villa.

One of the organisers, retired Col. Innocent Azubike, said the veterans presented documents to the military representatives, who acknowledged the submissions and pledged to brief the Chief of Defence Staff upon his return.

According to Azubike, the National Assembly passed a bill in October 2025 to review the salaries of serving and retired military personnel after a comparative assessment found that Nigerian soldiers were among the lowest paid in Africa. He said the legislation set a minimum salary of N250,000 for the least-paid soldier, with funding included in the 2026 budget.

He added that President Tinubu assented to the bill in November 2025 and directed that implementation should include three months’ arrears. However, the veterans expressed disappointment that the approved salary structure has yet to be implemented despite repeated assurances from government officials.

The retired officers also alleged that military authorities recently denied knowledge of the approved salary review. They criticised comments attributed to the Minister of Defence, who reportedly said the President raised the military minimum wage from N49,000 to N100,000, describing the statement as inaccurate.

Azubike explained that the N100,000 figure resulted from the 2024 national minimum wage adjustment and was unrelated to the military salary review approved in 2025.

The veterans said they remain committed to staging a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance to demand the implementation of the approved salary structure. They urged the Federal Government to honour its commitment and ensure the new pay package is implemented without further delay.