By Bavoriat Clara
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has stressed that sustainable welfare for military veterans must be anchored on deliberate policy frameworks, predictable funding structures, and coordinated institutional mechanisms capable of delivering long-term impact.
According to a statement issued by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the COAS made the remarks 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.
Lieutenant General Shaibu noted that the strength of any professional military institution lies not only in its operational effectiveness but also in the dignity with which it treats its veterans. He emphasised that the sacrifices of officers and soldiers—many of whom 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 Army Chief observed that leading military institutions globally have institutionalised comprehensive veterans’ welfare systems backed by law, clear policies, and guaranteed budgetary provisions. He stressed the need for Nigeria to consolidate and expand its existing frameworks to ensure that retired personnel transition smoothly from active service into purposeful civilian life without facing socio-economic hardship.
Describing veterans as strategic national assets, the COAS encouraged retired personnel to actively engage in politics, governance, and policy advocacy. He said their leadership experience, discipline, crisis-management skills, and understanding of national security dynamics uniquely position them to contribute meaningfully to legislative and executive processes.
Lieutenant General Shaibu also called for constructive engagement with the National Assembly, including the Senate and the House of Representatives, to champion legislative initiatives aimed at strengthening veterans’ welfare and reinforcing the nation’s security architecture. He added that many retirees with administrative, logistics, and clerical expertise could be redeployed as human resource consultants, management professionals, and institutional advisers in both public and private sectors.
He further encouraged veterans to document and publish their professional experiences, noting that such contributions would help preserve institutional memory, enrich strategic discourse, generate sustainable income, and inspire younger generations of service personnel.
Earlier, the Chairperson of the Nigerian Legion, Ms Grace Morenike Henry, outlined structural challenges confronting retirees and personnel approaching discharge. She cited 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 tends to intensify mainly during the annual Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day, rather than being sustained throughout the fiscal and policy cycle.
Ms 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. She therefore advocated the establishment of a fully funded ministry dedicated exclusively to veterans’ affairs to provide clear governmental oversight, institutional coherence, and structured policy direction for veteran-focused initiatives nationwide.
The engagement reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to advancing a holistic, policy-driven approach to veterans’ welfare, integrating legislative support, fiscal responsibility, institutional coordination, and sustained national recognition of service.
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