…Federal Government Approves New Pensionable Salary Structure for Armed Forces
The Federal Government has approved a new pensionable salary structure for the Nigerian Armed Forces, with Generals, Admirals, and Air Chief Marshals seeing their annual pensionable pay rise to as much as N29.75 million — equivalent to approximately N2.48 million monthly .
CDA News Nigeria reports that the approval was contained in a September 3, 2026 circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), with the new structure taking effect from September 1, 2026 .
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the review covers personnel across the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force, providing revised gross annual salaries to be used in calculating pension benefits . Under the revised scale, Generals’ annual pensionable salaries range from N21.90 million to N29.75 million, depending on their salary steps .
The commission stressed that the approved figures are specifically for pension purposes and should not be interpreted as the actual monthly take-home salaries of serving personnel . The review is in line with Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for pension reviews every five years or whenever public service salaries are reviewed .
The development follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a 30 to 80 per cent salary increase for serving military personnel, effective from September 1, 2026 . Under that arrangement, junior ranks from Private to Staff Sergeant receive an 80 per cent increase, Warrant Officers to Colonels receive 50 per cent, while Generals receive a 30 per cent increase .
Meanwhile, retired military personnel have continued to demand consequential pension adjustments, staging protests in Abuja over the non-implementation of pension reviews tied to salary increases for serving personnel .
Source verification: Original reporting based on NSIWC circular dated September 3, 2026, and official statements from the Ministry of Defence.
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