Ranking, Symbols and Salaries of The Nigerian Army Members

The Nigerian Army is one of the major branches of the Nigerian Armed Forces whose responsibility is primarily the ground-based military actions. Similar to the army of other nations, the Nigerian Army features a rank structure that defines the tasks, authority, and remunerations of each soldier. Knowledge of the rank structure, insignia, and pay of the Nigerian Army is useful in analyzing the structure and compensation packages attached to the military rank. The following is a general description of these aspects of the Nigerian Army.

Nigerian Army Rank Structure

The rank structure here is divided into two:

i. Commissioned Officers: This group comprises senior officers who are mostly involved in the coordination, planning, and command of operational activities. They generally possess higher ranks and have direct supervisory authority over enlisted personnel.

ii. Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and Enlisted Personnel: This group is made up of all the ranks from soldier to warrant officer. They fight wars and implement the strategies as given by the commanding officers.

Commissioned Officer Ranks

The commissioned officers' ranks are as follows, from the highest to the lowest:

i. Field Marshal – This is the top rank in the Nigerian Army but the rank is not often given out. It is usually an honorary rank with a lot of pomp, mainly given to prominent generals.

ii. General – This rank is normally assigned to the heads of the armed forces branches or offices and is attained by the Chief of Army Staff, who supervises the entire army force. General is usually endowed with a lot of powers when it comes to the planning and conducting of military operations.

iii. Lieutenant General – Officers at this level are selected to command different formations in the army. The rank is a step lower than that of a General.

iv. Major General – These officers are in charge of army divisions and occupy strategic positions in the army chain of command.

v. Brigadier General – This rank commands a brigade which is made up of several battalions. It is the lowest ranking amongst the general officers.

vi. Colonel – Colonels are usually in charge of regiments, these are units that consist of a number of battalions.

vii. Lieutenant Colonel – This rank usually commands a battalion or group of men larger than a company and lower than a Colonel in rank.

viii. Major – A major is a more subordinate officer who serves as the second-in-command in a battalion or may independently control smaller formations.

ix. Captain – A Captain commands a company, which is a formation that is usually composed of about 100-200 soldiers.

x. Lieutenant – Lieutenants rank normally comes immediately after the second lieutenant and they normally serve as platoon commanders and are mostly products of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

xi. Second Lieutenant – This is the basic level in the Nigerian Army and the officer would be commanding small formations which are known as platoons.

Non-Commissioned Officer Ranks

Non-commissioned officers have a separate ranking system:

i. Warrant Officer Class I (WO I) – This is the highest non-commissioned rank. WO I officers can occupy positions of senior staff officers in battalions or other formations.

ii. Warrant Officer Class II (WO II) – WO II is above most of the other Non-Commissioned Officers within a unit and only outranked by WO I.

iii. Staff Sergeant – This rank is used for commanding small groups of people, and one of their responsibilities is to maintain discipline as well as oversee the training of enlisted personnel.

iv. Sergeant: Their role is a bit complex, but basically, sergeants usually serve as squad leaders and are expected to make certain that the entire team performs well.

v. Corporal – Corporal ranks assist sergeants and may be responsible for a small group of soldiers.

vi. Lance Corporal – It is a junior NCO rank, those who hold this rank are assigned responsibilities of helping junior troops.

vii. Private – This is the rank that is given to new recruits and is the lowest rank in an army.

Rank Symbols in the Nigerian Army

The different ranks of the Nigerian Army have different symbols assigned to them and worn on the uniform to indicate the rank of every individual soldier in the force. Most of these badges are worn on the shoulder or the chest, and by doing so, one can distinguish the rank of a soldier within a short period.

i. Stars and Crowns: Non-commissioned officers in the ranks of Second Lieutenant up to Major General wear stars and crowns in their badges. A Second Lieutenant uses one star and a Lieutenant uses two stars. The higher the rank, the more stars or additional symbols are shown. For example, a Major General wears two stars in rank with a crossed sword and baton emblem.

ii. Eagle Insignia: This is normally in the form of an emblem or a pin depending on the hierarchy of the officer in question; the emblem for Colonels and Brigadier Generals includes an eagle symbol.

iii. Chevron Stripes: The chevron stripes are worn by non-commissioned officers. For instance, a Lance corporal has a single stripe while a Corporal has two stripes, a Sergeant has three stripes and a Staff Sergeant has three stripes with an arch or crown.

iv. Warrant Insignias: Warrant Officers wear distinct badges. WO II has a crown while WO I has a star and two stripes on top of the crown to further suggest a higher grade.

Salaries in the Nigerian Army

i. General – About  1,500,000 –  2,000,000 Naira per month.

ii. Lieutenant General - Around 1,000,000 - 1,500,000 Naira monthly.

iii. Major General - Approximately 950,000 Naira monthly.

iv. Brigadier General – About 750,000 - 950,000 Naira monthly.

v. Colonel - 500,000 - 750,000 Naira per month.

vi. Lieutenant Colonel – Around 350,000 - 500,000 Naira monthly.

vii. Major - 300,000 - 400,000 Naira per month.

viii. Captain – Between 250,000 and 350,000 Naira per month.

ix. Lieutenant – A pay range of 200,000 – 250,000 Naira a month.

x. Second Lieutenant – About 150,000 to 200,000 Naira per Month.

The Salaries of Non-Commissioned Officers and Enlisted Personnel

i. First Warrant Officer Class I – Approximately 90,000 - 120,000 Naira monthly.

ii. Warrant Officer Class II – About 80,000 to 100,000 Naira per month.

iii. Staff Sergeant – Approximately 70,000 - 90,000 Naira per month.

iv. Sergeant - Between 60,000 to 80,000 Naira per month.

v. Corporal – From 55,000 - 70,000 Naira per month.

vi. Lance Corporal – Roughly 50,000 - 60,000 Naira per month.

vii. Private - Approximately 40,000 - 50,000 Naira monthly.

Factors Influencing Salary and Benefits

The salary scales mentioned above are approximate; there are various factors that determine the actual pay of the Nigerian Army personnel. Such factors encompass the length of service, risk level, extra training, and operational exposure. Further, Army personnel get some privileges like medical, accommodation, canteen for subsidized rates and transport facilities. These benefits make certain that army personnel have some form of protection and remuneration apart from wages.

Conclusion

Ranks, symbols, and some of the salaries of the Nigerian Army portray the structure, authority, and recognition of various positions within the military organization. While non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel may be part of the army, commissioned officers have higher ranks, more authority and well-paid compared to the former. The remuneration package may be reasonable for some individuals but is satisfactory enough to make sure that personnel are paid in accordance to their rank and duties. A knowledge of these aspects of the Nigerian Army is useful in gaining a holistic view of how the institution operates and their benefits as soldiers.

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