Military Pension New Rate: Why Retired Soldiers Are protesting Against It
Retired Nigerian soldiers have blocked the entrance to the Military Pensions Board in Abuja to protest the formula used to calculate their revised pensions.
The veterans staged the protest on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, after expressing dissatisfaction with the amounts credited to their accounts under the new pension rates.
They argue that the calculations do not adequately reflect the salary increases approved for serving military personnel by President Bola Tinubu.
The dispute has continued despite the government’s announcement that it had started paying the revised pensions and applicable arrears.
How the military pension dispute started
The disagreement followed the Federal Government’s approval of salary increases for serving military personnel in August 2026.
The new salary structure took effect on September 1. It granted different increases across the ranks, ranging from 30 per cent to 80 per cent.
However, retired soldiers expected the salary adjustments to translate into corresponding increases in their pensions.
In August, military retirees protested at the Ministry of Defence in Abuja. They demanded adjustments to their pensions following the salary review.
Defence Minister Christopher Musa subsequently promised that the retirees would receive an increase in October.
The Military Pensions Board later announced that it had started implementing the revised rates. Payments and applicable arrears began reaching pensioners’ accounts on October 2.
However, some retirees complained that the amounts they received fell short of their expectations.
Why are retired soldiers challenging the new rates?
The disagreement centres on how the Military Pensions Board calculated the adjustments.
According to the Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lt Col Innocent Azubike, the formula used by the board does not adequately reflect the approved salary increases.
The veterans argue that the government should calculate their pension adjustments in a way that reflects the increases granted to serving personnel.
Azubike also questioned the outcome of the calculation, alleging that it created differences between retirees who served for similar periods and held equivalent ranks.
The veterans want the authorities to review the method and address any discrepancies in their payments.
What is the disputed pension formula?
The formula reportedly considers a retiree’s years of service and rank when determining the pension adjustment.
According to a report by Punch, the formula discussed by the board provides a pension rate of 40 per cent for 10 years of service, with an additional two percentage points for each subsequent year.
Under this explanation, a retiree with 11 years of service would receive a rate of 42 per cent, while someone with 12 years would receive 44 per cent.
The rate rises with additional years of service, reaching 90 per cent after 35 years, according to the explanation provided by the veterans’ representative.
However, the retirees question whether this method properly reflects the salary increases approved for serving personnel.
They argue that the calculation could leave some pensioners receiving less than they expected under the revised structure.
The board’s explanation has not resolved the disagreement.
What are the veterans demanding?
The protest reflects growing frustration among retirees who believe the new payments do not match the approved adjustments.
The veterans want the Military Pensions Board to review its calculations and address alleged discrepancies in pension payments.
They have also called for greater clarity on how the authorities arrived at the revised rates.
The dispute has placed pressure on the board to explain the relationship between the new salary structure and the pensions paid to retired personnel.
What has the government said?
The Military Pensions Board has maintained that it is committed to implementing approved pension adjustments and ensuring that retired military personnel receive their entitlements.
On Monday, October 12, the board met with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to discuss the new minimum wage and its implications for military pensions.
The board’s chairman, Air Vice Marshal M. Abdulraheem, said the implementation of approved adjustments remained a priority because of their impact on retired service members.
The board has also said it began paying the revised pension rates and processing applicable arrears in October.
However, the latest protest shows that some veterans remain dissatisfied with how the adjustments were calculated.
The dispute now centres on whether the existing formula fairly reflects the approved changes and how the authorities will address the retirees’ concerns.