Following the federal government’s recent upward review of salaries for the rank and file of the Nigerian Armed Forces, several young men of Southeast extraction say they are now reconsidering their long-standing reluctance to enlist in the military.
President Bola Tinubu recently approved a salary increment of between 30 and 80 percent for men and officers of the armed forces. The adjustment, which increases the nation’s annual military wage bill from N660 billion to N924 billion, comes alongside approvals for the recruitment of 28,000 new personnel and the creation of four additional military divisions.
Historically, military recruitment drives in the Southeast have recorded low turnout, with many youths preferring commerce and private enterprise. However, interviews with young people in Enugu suggest that the new wage package is shifting perspectives, though deep-seated reservations remain.
#### **Mixed Reactions from the Streets**
For Stephen Ezike, an Ebonyi State indigene who hawks plastic buckets on the streets of Enugu, the financial upgrade is not enough to change his mind. Ezike points to his uncle’s post-military struggles as a cautionary tale.
“My uncle retired from the Nigerian Army without building a house,” Ezike said. “He kept complaining that an injury he sustained in active service prevented him from serving at the war front, where he could have earned better allowances. Today, he works as a security guard at a private university along the Enugu-Abakaliki Road just to feed his family. I hawk buckets, but I have been able to build a house. I don’t want a job where my survival is uncertain and there is no guarantee my children will be taken care of if I die.”
In contrast, Ebubeagu Okoye, a secondhand shoe vendor, sees the pay raise as a viable escape route from rising unemployment.
“With this increment, I am eager to join,” Okoye said. “But the competition will be tough now because of high unemployment. While I am ready to serve as a patriotic Nigerian, the government must also ensure that entry into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is fair. Right now, it seems rich men’s children get into the NDA to become officers, while ordinary Nigerians start at the bottom as privates. That needs to change.”
Some parents are also divided. Mrs. Dorothy Ekwueme expressed a desire for her son to join, drawing inspiration from two brothers in her community who rose to the rank of Major General.
“Those brothers are doing very well and are highly respected. I would love my son to become a soldier, but my fear is the security situation. The rate at which soldiers, and even Generals, are targeted and killed these days is very disheartening,” she said.
#### **Addressing Cultural and Economic Factors**
A retired Assistant Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Edwin Ugwuja, noted that poor remuneration was historically the main deterrent for Southeast youths.
“These youths are business-oriented. Through the traditional Igbo apprenticeship system, a young man can get established and become his own boss within a few years. Naturally, they would prefer that to low-paying military jobs,” Ugwuja explained.
“However, this salary increment is a game-changer. Beyond patriotism, the military is a major employer of labor. Boosting their morale and increasing troop strength is critical, especially when tackling banditry and insurgency where adversaries operate in large numbers. This move will help address both security and unemployment.”
Dr. Obi Eze, an industrial psychologist, emphasized the need for targeted sensitization campaigns in the region to dismantle historical biases.
“Some parents still carry the trauma of the Nigerian Civil War, and the younger generation often feeds on negative literature from that era,” Dr. Eze observed. “They need to be reminded that the military is a noble, patriotic institution designed to preserve national unity. If it were a bad career, you wouldn’t see the children of senior military officers enlisting. The federal government deserves commendation for this pay raise; proper compensation is key to maintaining professionalism and discouraging bad eggs within the forces.”
