Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has ordered a further pay rise for soldiers, with the most junior ranks receiving increases of up to 80%, in what he described as recognition of the armed forces' role in tackling the country's severe security threats. It is the second pay boost for troops in a month and forms part of Tinubu's wider push to combat violence from Islamist militants, separatist groups and criminal "bandit" gangs, following his recent order to recruit 28,000 additional soldiers and establish four new army divisions ahead of the 2027 elections.

Under the changes, privates up to staff sergeants will see an 80% rise, warrant officers up to colonels 50%, and brigadier generals up to generals 30%; the monthly wage for privates, having already risen from $36 to $73 in July, will reach $132 from September. The move will push the military's annual wage bill from $484m to $678m, and while a retired major general welcomed the increase, he cautioned that future governments may struggle to sustain it and called for similar pay reviews for other security agencies alongside investment in equipment such as uniforms and rifles.