The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called for deliberate policy frameworks, predictable funding structures and coordinated institutional mechanisms to ensure sustainable welfare for military veterans in Nigeria.
Shaibu made the call on Tuesday while receiving the Chairperson of the National Council of the Nigerian Legion, Ms Grace Morenike Henry, during a courtesy visit at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
The Army Chief said the strength of any professional military institution lies not only in its operational effectiveness but also in the dignity and care accorded to its veterans. He noted that the sacrifices of officers and soldiers who served in complex operational theatres across the country must be matched with resilient post-service support systems that demonstrate national gratitude and strategic foresight.
According to him, leading military institutions across the world have institutionalised comprehensive veterans’ welfare systems backed by law, policy clarity and guaranteed funding. He stressed that Nigeria must consolidate and expand its existing frameworks to ensure that retired personnel transition smoothly into civilian life without socio-economic vulnerability.
Describing veterans as strategic national assets, Shaibu encouraged retired personnel to actively participate in politics, governance and policy advocacy. He said their leadership skills, discipline, crisis-management experience and exposure to national security dynamics position them to contribute meaningfully to legislative and executive processes.
The COAS also urged constructive engagement with the National Assembly — particularly the Senate and the House of Representatives — to champion legislative initiatives that would strengthen veterans’ welfare and reinforce the nation’s security architecture.
He added that many retirees, especially those with administrative, logistics and clerical backgrounds, possess competencies that can be redeployed as human resource consultants, management professionals and institutional advisers across public and private sector organisations.
He further encouraged veterans to document and publish their professional experiences to preserve institutional memory, enrich strategic discourse, generate sustainable income and inspire younger generations of service personnel.
Earlier in her remarks, Ms Henry highlighted key structural challenges confronting retirees and personnel approaching discharge. She identified low public awareness of the Legion’s statutory mandate and limited societal appreciation of its responsibilities as major constraints.
She observed that national attention to veterans’ welfare often peaks during the annual Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day but is rarely sustained throughout the fiscal and policy cycle.
Henry also pointed to the absence of a dedicated budget line for veterans’ affairs in the national appropriation framework, resulting in reliance on ad-hoc interventions and inconsistent funding.
She advocated the establishment of a fully funded ministry dedicated exclusively to veterans’ affairs to provide a clear governmental anchor, institutional coherence and structured policy direction for veteran-focused initiatives nationwide.
The meeting reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to advancing a holistic, policy-driven approach to veterans’ welfare anchored on legislative backing, fiscal responsibility, institutional coordination and sustained national recognition of service.
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