The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has approved an increase in the daily feeding allowance for Nigerian Army personnel.
The allowance will rise from N1,500 to N3,000, starting at the end of March.
Oluyede made this announcement during his visit to the 81 Division in Lagos, where he addressed officers and soldiers at the 9th Brigade Parade Ground.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the previous allowance and assured the troops that their welfare remains a top priority.
Beyond feeding, the Army Chief also addressed housing concerns among personnel, especially warrant officers who do not own homes ahead of retirement.
To solve this, the Nigerian Army has introduced a housing scheme to provide affordable housing for soldiers.
The first set of houses under this initiative was unveiled in Abuja in December.
Additional housing projects are ongoing in Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt, Owerri, and Akwa Ibom.
The housing scheme offers two- and three-bedroom houses at prices as low as N8 million, making homeownership more accessible for soldiers.
Oluyede assured that the Army is working to ensure widespread availability of these homes across different states.
In addition, the COAS introduced a low-interest loan scheme for soldiers.
The loans come with a 3% interest rate, which is much lower than the 25% rate charged by commercial banks.
He encouraged soldiers to take advantage of the initiative while borrowing responsibly.
Addressing another key concern, Oluyede revealed that the Army had started distributing 100,000 new uniforms every month to eliminate the need for soldiers to purchase them with personal funds.
He assured that more personnel would receive kits before the end of the year.
He urged troops to stay committed to their duties, assuring them that efforts to improve their welfare—through better feeding, housing, financial aid, and equipment—would continue under his leadership.
