President Bola Tinubu has approved enhanced retirement benefits for senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces under the newly signed Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS).
The updated policy, signed on December 14, 2024, introduces significant allowances and privileges for retiring officers, particularly those of general rank who have completed 35 years of service.
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According to the HTACOS, retiring Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS), Army Staff, Naval Staff, and Air Staff will receive a bulletproof SUV or its equivalent, maintained by the Armed Forces and replaced every four years.
Additionally, they are entitled to a backup vehicle, fully funded foreign medical treatment, an annual $20,000 medical estacode, and domestic aides, including two cooks, two stewards, and a civilian gardener.
Retiring service chiefs will also retain personal firearms, military uniforms for ceremonial purposes, and have access to a team of aides comprising a Special Assistant, three military drivers, a military orderly, and an ADC/security officer. Escorts will be provided by relevant military units when necessary.
For lieutenant generals and their equivalents, the HTACOS outlines entitlements such as two Toyota Hilux vehicles or one Toyota Land Cruiser, $20,000 annual medical treatment, two cooks, two stewards, four residential guards, and two service drivers.
Major generals and brigadier generals will receive a Toyota Land Cruiser or an equivalent vehicle, $15,000 annually for medical treatment, one cook, one steward, two residential guards, one driver, and an orderly.
Brigadier generals, classified as one-star officers, will receive a Toyota Camry or an equivalent vehicle, $10,000 annually for medical expenses, one service driver, two residential guards, and one orderly.
Colonels and their equivalents are entitled to a Toyota Corolla or an equivalent vehicle and free medical care within Nigeria.
The policy also emphasizes the Federal Government’s commitment to aligning military retirement benefits with the current socio-economic realities of the country. While similar packages existed previously, the new HTACOS marks a significant upward review in allowances and privileges for senior military officers.
