Retired military personnel in Nigeria have announced plans to protest at the Military Pensions Board headquarters in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, following disagreements over the implementation of recently approved pension adjustments.
The veterans are accusing the board of adopting a payment calculation method that allegedly leaves some former servicemen and women receiving lower pensions than colleagues of equivalent ranks and years of service.
The planned demonstration comes despite assurances from the Federal Government that revised pension payments and outstanding entitlements are being processed.
The controversy follows pension adjustments linked to the new national minimum wage and salary increases granted to serving military personnel.
In September, retired soldiers demonstrated at the Ministry of Defence, demanding corresponding improvements in their retirement benefits.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, subsequently assured the veterans that the pension increase would take effect in October.
Following the assurance, the Military Pensions Board announced the commencement of the revised pension structure, explaining that payments of applicable arrears into beneficiaries' accounts began on October 2.
However, the implementation has generated fresh disagreements, with some veterans questioning the formula used to determine their new monthly entitlements.
The coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Azubike, said on Monday that preparations had been completed for a major demonstration at the board's office.
According to him, dissatisfaction has spread among retired personnel who believe the adjustment has failed to address existing inequalities in pension payments.
Azubike alleged that more than 90 per cent of veterans had expressed opposition to the computation method adopted by the board.
He also criticised a consultative meeting organised by the Military Pensions Board on October 9, arguing that the participants did not adequately represent the wider community of military retirees.
The veterans' representative claimed that only a limited number of retired personnel, mainly from Abuja, were invited to the meeting with less than 24 hours' notice.
He maintained that reports suggesting some participants were satisfied with the board's explanations had further increased frustration among other retirees.
At the centre of the disagreement is the calculation of pension increases for personnel who retired at different periods but served for the same number of years and attained the same rank.
Azubike illustrated the alleged disparity using two retired soldiers who each completed 35 years of military service.
He explained that a soldier who retired in October 2025 on a monthly salary of ₦100,000 would receive a pension of ₦90,000, representing 90 per cent of the final salary.
According to his calculation, an 80 per cent consequential increase should raise the pension by ₦72,000, bringing the monthly payment to ₦162,000.
He alleged, however, that the board's computation applied the 90 per cent pension rate to the adjustment amount, producing an increase of ₦64,800 and a revised pension of ₦154,800.
By comparison, he said a soldier of the same rank who retired in October 2026 after 35 years of service, earning ₦180,000 monthly, would receive ₦162,000 in pension under the 90 per cent rate.
The association argued that such differences were unfair to retirees with identical ranks and service records.
Azubike further warned that the calculation method could create additional discrepancies for personnel who retired after shorter periods of service.
As part of their demands, the veterans are seeking a review of the adjustment formula and an independent forensic audit of the Military Pensions Board.
They want the audit to establish how much money was released for pension payments and whether the funds were properly applied to beneficiaries' entitlements.
Meanwhile, the Military Pensions Board has maintained that it is working to ensure that retired personnel receive the benefits approved by the government.
The board's chairman, Air Vice Marshal Mikail Abdulraheem, reiterated this position on Monday while receiving officials from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission at the board's headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the board's spokesperson, Squadron Leader Aliyu Mohammed, the meeting focused on the implications of the new minimum wage for military pensions and the implementation of revised payment rates.
Abdulraheem assured the delegation that the board remained committed to ensuring that former military personnel received their approved adjustments.
The visiting officials were briefed on the procedures used to review pension entitlements, verify beneficiaries' records and incorporate approved increases into payment calculations.
They also examined systems established to improve accuracy and facilitate timely disbursement of retirement benefits.
In a related development, another group, the Coalition of Concerned Veterans, has issued a separate notice of a possible protest scheduled for Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The coalition said it would mobilise retired military personnel from different parts of the country if the board failed to address its concerns before the deadline.
In a letter to the board's chairman, signed by Blessing Alabala, the coalition demanded an urgent examination of the pension adjustment formula, a review of affected payments, corrections where discrepancies were established and the settlement of outstanding arrears.
Copies of the letter were also forwarded to the Ministers of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
The coalition referred to reported salary increases of 80 per cent for serving personnel between the ranks of Private and Staff Sergeant, 50 per cent for those from Warrant Officer to Colonel, and 30 per cent for officers above Colonel, including Brigadier-General and equivalent ranks.
It expressed concern that the formula reportedly being applied to retired personnel, based on rank and years of service, might produce pension adjustments that differed from the intended government approvals.
However, the coalition acknowledged that an increase in salaries for serving personnel does not necessarily require an identical percentage increase in every retiree's pension.
The group said its primary concern was ensuring that the approved adjustments were interpreted and implemented correctly.
While expressing a preference for dialogue, the coalition warned that it would proceed with a peaceful demonstration at 8 a.m. on Thursday if its demands remained unresolved.
The latest dispute has renewed attention on the welfare of retired military personnel and the need for transparency in the calculation and payment of their pensions.
With separate veterans' groups announcing protest plans, attention is now focused on whether further engagement between the Military Pensions Board and retired personnel can resolve the disagreements over the revised payment structure.