The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has emphasised that sustainable welfare for military veterans must be driven by deliberate policy frameworks, predictable funding structures and coordinated institutional mechanisms capable of delivering long-term impact.
The Army Chief made this known on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, while receiving the Chairperson of the National Council of the Nigerian Legion, Grace Morenike Henry, during a courtesy visit at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Shaibu stated that the strength of any professional military institution lies not only in operational effectiveness but also in the dignity and care extended to its veterans after service. According to him, the sacrifices made by officers and soldiers who served in complex operational theatres across the country must be matched with resilient post-service support systems that reflect national gratitude and strategic foresight.
The COAS observed that leading military institutions globally have institutionalised comprehensive veterans’ welfare systems backed by legislation, clear policy direction and guaranteed budgetary provisions. He stressed that Nigeria must consolidate and expand existing frameworks to ensure 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 noted that their leadership acumen, discipline, crisis-management experience and exposure to national security dynamics uniquely position them to contribute meaningfully to legislative and executive processes.
He further 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 Nigeria’s national security architecture.
The Army Chief added that many retirees possessed administrative, logistics and technical competencies that can be redeployed as human resource consultants, management professionals and institutional advisers across both public and private sectors. He also encouraged veterans to document and publish their professional experiences, noting that such intellectual contributions would preserve institutional memory, enrich strategic discourse, generate sustainable income and inspire younger generations of service personnel.
Earlier, Henry outlined key structural challenges confronting retirees and personnel approaching discharge from service. She identified low public awareness of the Legion’s statutory mandate and limited societal appreciation of its responsibilities as major constraints affecting veterans’ welfare initiatives.
She observed that national attention to veterans’ welfare often peak during the annual Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day rather than being sustained throughout the fiscal and policy cycle. Henry also highlighted the absence of a dedicated budget line for veterans’ affairs within the national appropriation framework, which she said has resulted in reliance on ad-hoc interventions and inconsistent funding streams.
The Legion chairperson therefore advocated the establishment of a fully funded ministry dedicated exclusively to veterans’ affairs, explained that such an institution would provide a clear governmental anchor, improved coordination and structured policy direction for veteran-focused programmes nationwide.
The engagement reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian Army to advancing a holistic and policy-driven approach to veterans’ welfare through legislative support, fiscal responsibility, institutional coordination and sustained national recognition of military service.
