Nigerian Army Salary 2026, Ranks And Allowances

The Nigerian Army is the main force of the Nigerian Military. They are also one of the strongest Army in Africa. One thing most people want to know about this organization is how much they are paid as monthly salaries. In this post, we will discuss everything you need to know about the Nigerian Army salary 2026, ranks and the allowances they are being paid.

Before we go down to the main topic, we will like to explain some things to help you understand this post better.

Firstly, the Nigerian Army is divided into two categories, the commissioned officers and the non commissioned officers. The commissioned officers are those who joined the Nigerian Army as graduates or those who went to the Nigerian Defence Academy and spent a period of 5 years before they were commissioned as officers in the Nigerian Army. While the non commissioned officers are those that joined the Army with their SSCE certificate and have to train on basic military training for the period of 6 months before they become soldiers in the Nigerian Army.

Nigerian Army Ranks and Salary

Those who joined the Nigerian Army as graduates are paid higher than those who joined with SSCE certificate. The graduates also have higher ranks than the non graduates. You can apply for anyone you are qualified for and might be among the Nigerian Army Shortlisted Candidates.

Secondly, the Federal Government of Nigeria recently increased the salary of workers, and this has helped to increase the Nigerian Army salary. Previously, a private soldier in the Nigerian Army earned about ₦103,000 per month. However, as of 2026, the monthly salary of a private soldier in the Nigerian Army has increased to ₦188,000.

Those who joined the Nigerian Army with SSCE are paid about ₦188,000 as starting salary, NCE and  ND certificate holders are also paid about ₦188,000 as starting salary while those with HND and BSC are paid about ₦350,000 as starting salary. Please note that as they grow in ranks, their salary also grows. Below are the complete ranks and salary of the Nigerian Army.

Before we discuss the salary of the Nigerian Army, let’s first look at the ranks.

Nigerian Army Ranks

As we explained earlier, the Nigerian Army ranks are divided into two categories, the commissioned officers and the non commissioned officers. Below is the complete structure.

Nigerian Army Commissioned Officers Ranks

• Second Lieutenant
• Lieutenant
• Captain
• Major
• Lieutenant Colonel
• Colonel
• Brigadier General
• Major General
• Lieutenant General
• General

Nigerian Army Non -Commissioned Officers Ranks:

• Private
• Lance Corporal
• Corporal
• Sergeant
• Staff Sergeant
• Warrant Officer
• Master Warrant Officer
• Army Warrant Officer

Nigerian Army Salary And Ranks

Nigerian Army commissioned officers salary:

1. Second Lieutenant – ₦360,500.
2. Lieutenant – ₦420,500.
3. Captain – ₦480,000.
4. Major – ₦570,000.
5. Lieutenant Colonel – ₦630,000.
6. Colonel – ₦870,000.
7. Brigadier General – ₦975,000.
8. Major General – ₦1,490,000.
9. Lieutenant General – ₦2,470,000.
10. General – ₦3,250,000.

Nigerian Army Non Commissioned Officer’s salaries are as follows:

1. Private – ₦187,500.
2. Lance Corporal – ₦202,500.
3. Corporal – ₦209,500.
4. Sergeant – ₦225,500.
5. Staff Sergeant – ₦270,500.
6. Warrant Officer – ₦306,500.
7. Master Warrant Officer – ₦315,500.
8. Army Warrant Officer – ₦345,500.

Please note that the salaries mentioned above were estimated and may vary from the actual amount paid to the officers.

Nigerian Army Allowances

Apart from the basic salary which is paid to the Nigerian Army, there are other allowances which they are also entitled to. They are as listed below.

• Special forces allowance
• Training allowance
• Scarce scales allowance
• Uniform allowance
• Traveling allowance
• Operation allowance (for those in operation).
• Cigarette allowance (for those in war front).

The above listed allowances are the major allowances that can be received as a member of the Nigerian Army.

Nigerian Army Training Allowance

The Nigerian Army training allowance is categorized based on qualifications. Those who joined the Nigerian Army using SSCE certificate are paid between ₦25,000 and ₦50,000 monthly as training allowance. NCE or ND are also paid between ₦25,000 and ₦50,000 monthly as training allowance while the HND and BSC certificate holders are paid between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 monthly as training allowance.

Please note that the Nigerian Army training allowance is only available to those who are undergoing training in the Nigerian Army. Once the training is concluded, the training allowance will stop and they will only be left with their basic salaries and other allowances.