Military Retirees Protest Pension Adjustments in Abuja
Military retirees protested in Abuja over delayed pension adjustments, saying approved increases have yet to reach former service personnel.
A protest erupted at the Ministry of Defence in Abuja on Wednesday as military retirees demanded the implementation of approved pension adjustments.
Armed soldiers reportedly blocked the former service personnel from staging their protest at the Defence Ministry. The retirees are calling for the consequential adjustment of military pensions, which they say remains outstanding despite an approved salary increase.
One of the protesters said President Bola Tinubu approved higher salaries for military and paramilitary personnel in November last year. However, he claimed the adjustment had still not been implemented as of August 2026.
“Since November last year, the President approved a salary increase for the military and paramilitary personnel, and it has been in the news everywhere.
“The military high command has continued to thank the President at every given opportunity, but this is August 2026 and they are yet to implement it.
“It’s as if it is a scam. This is Nigeria. We served for 35 years. The system is wrong,” he said.
The retirees’ complaint centres on the gap between the reported approval of the salary increase and the continued delay in applying the corresponding adjustment to their pensions.
Their protest has brought renewed attention to the financial concerns facing former members of Nigeria’s armed forces, who argue that pension adjustments should reflect approved changes to the pay of serving military and paramilitary personnel.
The presence of armed soldiers at the ministry reportedly prevented the retirees from carrying out their planned demonstration at the premises. The former service personnel nevertheless used the occasion to press their demand for the implementation of the outstanding pension adjustments.
The dispute comes as military retirees continue to seek clarity and action on the adjustments they say were approved months ago.
Should the government urgently resolve the pension dispute to address the concerns of Nigeria’s military retirees?
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