Nigeria's Tinubu Orders 80% Pay Rise for Junior Soldiers

The raise, effective from September, will lift monthly wages for privates from $73 to $132, following a July increase from $36 to $73. The move is part of Tinubu's broader efforts to curb violence from Islamist militants, separatists, and criminal kidnap gangs known as "bandits" across Nigeria. Last month, he ordered the recruitment of 28,000 additional soldiers and the creation of four new army divisions, expanding the military to 12 divisions nationwide. The annual military wage bill will jump from $484m to $678m. Announcing the hikes, Tinubu praised the courage of armed forces members confronting the scourge of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, urging servicemen to see the gesture as a sign of appreciation. Retired Major General Bashir Galma, a military expert, told the BBC the raise was long overdue but expressed concern about future administrations sustaining the funding, and argued other security agencies should receive similar pay reviews.