<\/a><\/p>\nThere are eleven (11) ranks for commissioned officers in the Nigerian army and are listed below in ascending order.<\/span><\/p>\n1. Second Lieutenant:<\/strong> This is the lowest rank of the commissioned officers cadre. Most Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) graduates are given this rank after graduation. It is symbolized by one star.<\/span><\/p>\n2. Lieutenant:<\/strong> This rank is directly above the Second Lieutenant. Mostly Direct Short Service Officers are given this rank after completing their training. It is symbolized by two stars.<\/span><\/p>\n3. Captain:<\/strong> This is the third rank after the Lieutenant. It is also the highest rank of the junior officers. It is symbolized by three stars.<\/span><\/p>\n4. Maj<\/strong><\/span>or:<\/strong> This rank is the first of the senior officers of the army and the fourth rank of the commissioned officers cadre. It is symbolized by an eagle.<\/span><\/p>\n5. Lieutenant Colonel:<\/strong> This is the fifth rank, and it is higher than the Major. It is symbolized by an eagle and a star.<\/span><\/p>\n6. Colonel:<\/strong> This is the sixth rank of the commissioned officers cadre. It is symbolized by an eagle and two stars.<\/span><\/p>\n7. Brigadier General:<\/strong> This is the seventh highest rank and the lowest General rank in the Nigerian Army. This rank is symbolized by an eagle and three stars.<\/span><\/p>\n8. Major General:<\/strong> This rank is higher than the Brigadier General and is the eighth highest rank in the commissioned officers cadre. It is symbolized by an eagle and crossed swords with a torch.<\/span><\/p>\n9. Lieutenant General:<\/strong> This rank is very high in the Nigerian army. Most top army officers of Nigeria stopped at this rank. It is symbolized by an eagle, a star, and crossed swords with a torch.<\/span><\/p>\n10. General:<\/strong> This is the highest rank to be attained by an officer of the Nigerian army, and only but very few Nigerian officers have attained it. It is symbolized by an eagle, two stars, and crossed swords with a torch.<\/span><\/p>\n11. Field Marshal:<\/strong> This is the highest rank in the Army, and it has never been attained by any officer in Nigeria. According to sources, whoever attains this rank has the right to do as he or she wants and can become a dictator. So officers are sent on retirement before they could attain this rank.<\/span><\/p>\nSalary Structure of the Nigerian Army<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe salaries received by Nigerian army officers vary depending on their ranks. Here is a list showing the ranks and their salaries.<\/span><\/p>\nNon-commissioned Officers Salaries<\/b><\/h3>\n\n- Private: #48,000 – 49,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Lance Corporal: #54,000 – 55,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Corporal: #58,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Sergent: #63,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Staff Sergeant: #68,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Warrant officer: #80,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Master Warrant Officer: #90,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Army Warrant Officer: #100,000<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Commissioned officers salaries<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n- Second Lieutenant: #120,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Lieutenant: #180,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Captain: #220,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Major: #300,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Lieutenant Colonel: #350,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Colonel: #550,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Brigadier General: #750,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Major General: #950,000<\/span><\/li>\n
- Lieutenant General: #1 million<\/span><\/li>\n
- General: #1.5 million<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Nigerian Army Allowances<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Nigerian Army is also given allowances, which include the following:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Uniform\/boots allowance<\/span><\/li>\n
- Qualification allowance<\/span><\/li>\n
- Recall from annual leave allowance<\/span><\/li>\n
- Compassionate allowance<\/span><\/li>\n
- Terminal allowance<\/span><\/li>\n
- Operational allowance for the soldiers fighting at different operations<\/span><\/li>\n
- Scarce skills allowance, which is a fixed amount of #100,000, for the military personnel irrespective of their ranks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Nigerian Army also established the Nigerian Army Welfare Limited\/Guarantee (NAWL\/G), which coordinates the welfare of the Nigerian army personnel. They give Life insurance money as part of the welfare packages to the next of kin of its personnel that died during service. Gratuities and death claims are also part of the welfare packages received in the Nigerian Army.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
How Long Does it Take to Get Promoted in the Nigerian Army?<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Army uses three systems to decide which of the enlisted members are up for promotion. The three systems include:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n- Decentralized promotions to the grades of E2 to E4<\/span><\/li>\n
- Semi-centralized promotions to the grades of E5 to E6<\/span><\/li>\n
- Centralized promotion to the grades of E7 to E9<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Before a soldier can be promoted in the Nigerian army, they must have served for five years in a particular rank. For instance, a private must serve for five years before being promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. Promotion in the Nigerian army is done Chronologically and not to any rank of the soldier’s choice.<\/span><\/p>\nRanks in the Nigerian army require some specific qualifications before a soldier can be promoted to it. These qualifications include:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Army Officer candidate school:<\/strong> This is a 12-weeks program that must be completed before the enlisted soldiers can be considered for promotion.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Time in Grade and Time in Service:<\/strong> Time in service is the total time a soldier served in the army. Time in Grade is the total years an officer served in a rank. An officer is expected to serve five years in a rank before being promoted to the next rank.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Achievement in Service:<\/strong> This can also determine promotion in the army. An officer who has made a great mark or impact in their personal or team assignments can be considered for promotion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n