Highest Paid Force In Nigeria And Their Salaries

Introduction

Have you ever thought if the salaries paid to the members of the Nigerian Armed forces are proportionate to the labour and sacrifice they make daily for all of us? This is how to find out!

First, the focus of this article is to help readers have an insight to the salary structure of the Nigerian Armed Forces (Army salaries, Navy salaries and Air force salaries alike). However, let’s shed some light to the brief history and functions of these gallant men.

The Nigerian Armed Forces are the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Its origin lies in the elements of the Royal West African Frontier Force that became Nigerian when independence was granted in 1960. Training establishments in Nigeria include the prestigious officer entry Nigerian Defence Academy at Kaduna, the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, and the National War College at Abuja.

The functions of the Nigerian armed forces encompass:

• Defending Nigeria from external aggression;
• Maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea, or air;
• Suppress insurrection and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly and
• Perform such other functions as may be prescribed by an act of the National Assembly.

It is also important to note that apart from the Nigeria Police Force where ranks and ranking are significant, the practice has been earlier rooted and entrenched in the Nigerian armed forces which include the army, navy and the air force.  Officers  in  the  Nigerian  armed  forces  are  categorised  into  commissioned  and  non-commissioned. The commissioned officers are the ones in senior ranks while the non-commissioned are the rank and file, the very junior officers. For specificity sake, the Nigerian armed forces are divided into three components, namely

1. The Nigerian Army
2. The Nigerian Navy and
3. The Nigerian Air force

ARMY SALARIES

The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the largest among the armed forces. Major formations include the 1st Division, the 2nd Division, the 3rd Armoured Division, 81st Division, 82nd Division, and newly formed 7th Division.

The commissioned officers for the Nigerian Army are as follows:

1. Field Marshal.
2. General.
3. Lieutenant General.
4. Major General.
5. Brigadier General.
6. Colonel.
7. Lieutenant Colonel.
8. Major.
9. Captain.
10. First Lieutenant.
11. Second Lieutenant.

There are eight ranks of the non-commissioned officers in the Nigerian Army.

1. Master Warrant Officer
2. Warrant Officer
3. Staff Sergeant
4. Sergeant
5. Corporal
6. Lance Corporal
7. Private
8. Recruit

The categories and ranks of the Army, with their respective salaries are thus as follows;

NAVY SALARIES

The Nigerian Navy (NN) is the sea branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the water-focused military force. The Nigerian Navy command structure today consists of the Naval Headquarters in Abuja, three operational commands with headquarters in Lagos, Calabar, and Bayelsa. Training command’s headquarters are located in Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, but with training facilities spread all over Nigeria. There are five operational bases, five forward operational bases (with two more soon to come on stream), two dockyards located in Lagos and Port Harcourt and two fleets based in Lagos and Calabar.

The commissioned officers for the Nigerian Navy are as follows:

1. Admiral of the Fleet
2. Admiral
3. Vice-Admiral
4. Rear Admiral Commodore
5. Captain
6. Commander
7. Lieutenant Commander
8. Lieutenant
9. Sub-Lieutenant
10. Acting Sub-Lieutenant
11. Mid-Shipman

There are seven ranks of the non-commissioned officers in the Nigerian Navy.

1. Warrant Chief Petty Officer
2. Chief Petty Officer
3. Petty Officer
4. Leading Rating
5. Able Rating
6. Ordinary Rating
7. Trainee

The categories and ranks of the Navy, with their respective salaries are thus as follows;

AIR FORCE SALARIES

The Nigerian Air force is the air-focused military force. It was formally established in January 1964 with technical assistance from West Germany. The air force started life as a transport unit with aircrew being trained in Canada, Ethiopia and Pakistan. The air force did not get a combat capability until a number of MiG-17 aircraft were presented by the Soviet Union in 1966. It flies transport, trainer, helicopter, and fighter aircraft.

The commissioned officers for the Nigerian Air force are as follows:

1. Marshal of the Nigerian Air Force
2. Air Chief Marshal
3. Air Marshal
4. Air Vice-Marshal
5. Air Commodore
6. Group Captain
7. Wing Commander
8. Squadron Leader
9. Flight Lieutenant
10. Flying Officer
11. Pilot Officer

There are nine ranks of the non-commissioned officers in the Nigerian Air force.

1. Air Warrant Officer
2. Master Warrant Officer
3. Warrant Officer
4. Flight Sergeant
5. Sergeant
6. Corporal
7. Lance – Corporal
8. Air Craftman
9. Recruit

The categories and ranks of the Air force, with their respective salaries are thus as follows;