The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving salary increases of between 30 and 80 per cent for members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, describing the move as a landmark intervention that should herald a new era of sustainable welfare reforms for military personnel.
The civil rights organisation, however, urged the Federal Government to go beyond the pay raise by putting in place enduring legal and institutional mechanisms that would guarantee the welfare of serving and retired military personnel.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA described the salary adjustment as one of the most significant welfare packages approved for Nigerian troops in decades.
The group said the increase was a long-overdue recognition of the sacrifices made by members of the Armed Forces, many of whom have spent years battling insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other security threats under difficult conditions.
According to HURIWA, improving the welfare of military personnel is fundamental to strengthening national security, arguing that well-motivated troops are better positioned to defend the country’s territorial integrity and respond effectively to emerging security challenges.
The organisation also commended the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for what it described as their sustained commitment to improving troop welfare, professionalism and operational capability.
While welcoming the salary increase, HURIWA warned against treating it as a one-off intervention.
It noted that previous welfare initiatives had gradually lost their impact because they were not backed by enduring policies capable of protecting military personnel from inflation and changing economic realities.
The group therefore called on the Federal Government to establish an Armed Forces Welfare and Remuneration Commission through an Act of the National Assembly to oversee periodic reviews of military salaries, operational allowances and retirement benefits.
It also advocated the enactment of a Military Welfare Protection Act to institutionalise regular salary reviews and shield military welfare programmes from political transitions and fiscal uncertainties.
Beyond remuneration, HURIWA urged the government to introduce a comprehensive welfare package covering affordable housing, quality healthcare, educational support for children of serving and fallen personnel, expanded life insurance, mortgage facilities, prompt pension administration and psychological rehabilitation for combat veterans.
The association further stressed that improved salaries should be complemented by sustained investment in modern military equipment, surveillance technology, cyber warfare capabilities, combat aviation, indigenous defence production and continuous professional training.
According to the group, asking soldiers to confront increasingly sophisticated security threats without providing them with modern operational tools would undermine the gains of the salary increase.
HURIWA also called on military authorities to ensure that the improved welfare package translates into higher morale, greater professionalism, enhanced discipline and continued respect for human rights in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.
The association maintained that investing in the welfare and operational capacity of the Armed Forces remained one of the most effective ways of strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and restoring public confidence in the country’s fight against insecurity.
It urged the Tinubu administration to seize the opportunity created by the salary review to establish a lasting military welfare system that would endure beyond the life of the current administration and serve as a fitting reward for the sacrifices of Nigerian troops.