Nigerian Army Salary Structure 2020 – Monthly & Yearly Wages By Ranks

This article provides information on the Nigerian Army salary structure. After reading it, you’ll have a clearer picture of the monthly/annual wages of all the ranks in the Nigerian Army.

Nigeria boasts the largest land army in Africa based on population. This not entirely surprising, considering the fact that it is Africa’s most populous nation.

Military personnel boast better pay rates than regular civil servants. Needless to say, they deserve every penny they earn and more, due to the fact that they put their life on the line to ensure the security of the nation.

Also read Salary structure of the Nigerian Navy.

If you read our previous article concerning the salary structure of other military personnel, you’ll discover that the figures are not too far apart. In other words, identical ranks in the Nigerian Armed forces earn identical wages.

Salary structure of commissioned officers in the Nigerian Army

General — ₦1.5 million per month

An Army General earns a monthly salary of ₦1.5 million (NGN). If we multiply this figure by the twelve months in a year, we’ll get an annual salary of ₦18,000,000.

No military officer has ever, in the history of Nigeria, been able to rise past the General rank and attain Field Marshal, which is officially the highest rank. Therefore, this makes an Army General the highest paid soldier in Nigeria.

Lieutenant General — ₦1 million per month

A Lieutenant General is the second in command after an Army General. Any officer who attains this rank will receive a monthly wage of ₦1 million (NGN), which is equivalent to ₦12 million (NGN) per annum.

Major General — ₦950,000 per month

Major General is directly below Lt. General in rank order. Any officer who reaches this position will receive a monthly salary of ₦950,000. This value adds up to ₦11,400,000 (₦11.4 million) per year.

Brigadier General — ₦750,000 per month

Brigadier General is the rank just below Major General. Officers who attain this level will receive a monthly salary of ₦750,000. Which means, at the end of one calendar year, he would have gone home with a paycheque of roughly ₦9,000,000 (₦9 million).

Colonel — ₦550,000 per month

Any Army officer who attains the rank of Colonel is entitled to a basic salary of approximately ₦550,000 per month. That is, an annual income of exactly ₦6,600,000 (₦6.6 million).

Lieutenant Colonel — ₦350,000 per month

All Lieutenant Colonels are entitled to a monthly stipend of ₦350,000. Which means, every year he banks exactly ₦4,200,000 (₦4.2 million).

Major — ₦300,000 per month

An Army Major earns ₦300,000 per month, and therefore takes home roughly ₦3,600,000 (₦3.6 million) annually. This is the rank directly below the Lieutenant Colonel and directly above Captain.

Captain — ₦220,000 per month

Any Nigerian Soldier who attains the rank of Captain is entitled to a monthly basic salary of ₦220,000 – which is equal to ₦2,600,000 (₦2.6 million) in one year. A captain is directly below a Major, and directly above a First Lieutenant in rank order.

First Lieutenant — ₦180,000 per month

Any Army officer who reaches the rank of First Lieutenant will receive a basic salary of ₦180,000 per month. Therefore, the yearly income of a First Lieutenant is exactly ₦2,160,000 (₦2.16 million).

Second Lieutenant — ₦120,000 per month

Any officer in the Nigerian Army who attains the rank of Second Lieutenant is bound to receive a monthly basic salary above ₦120,000. As a result, his / her annual salary take-home will be no less than ₦1,440,000 (₦1.44 million). The second Lieutenant rank is the lowest rank for commissioned officers. However, his rank is higher than those of non-commissioned / enlisted personnel.

In case you scrolled down fast, the table below provides a breakdown of how much each commissioned officer earn per month:

Ranks	Monthly Salary
Second Lieutenant	₦120,000
First Lieutenant	₦180,000
Captain	₦220,000
Major	₦300,000
Lt. Colonel	₦350,000
Colonel	₦550,000
Brigadier General	₦750,000
Major General	₦950,000
Lt. General	₦1 million
General	₦1.5 million

Salary structure of non-commissioned / enlisted personnel in the Nigerian Army

For non-commissioned / enlisted personnel in the Nigerian Army, the highest rank is Master Warrant Officer while the lowest rank is Corporal. The table below provides the breakdown of their monthly salary in ascending order.

Ranks	Monthly Salary
Corporal	₦58,000
Sergeant	₦63,000
Staff Sergeant	₦68,000
Warrant Officer	₦80,000
Master Warrant Officer	₦90,000

As you must have noticed, the figures for the low-ranked officers isn’t so high after all. But mind you, the figures you see are just the basic salaries. There are several other allowances Nigerian Army personnels earn, which end up making the figures much bigger. For instance, during the course of a war or peacekeeping mission, soldiers receive several allowances.

However, there has been recent outcry for the Federal Government of Nigeria to increase the minimum wage for civil servants. In the event that the FG increases the minimum wage, it will consequently lead to an increase the salary scale of the Nigerian Army.

Are you interested in seeing the various logos / insignias for the ranks in the Nigerian Army? If so, then read also: Nigerian Army ranks and picture of their insignias / badges.

Also read the following:

• Nigerian Army recruitment: See how to apply
• Nigerian Army Direct Short Service: See application guide now