Nigerian Navy & Air Force Ranks, Badges & Officers Salaries: Military Ranks In Nigeria
The military is the defense of any independent country. Without an effective military, a country is considered weak and vulnerable. This makes it an easy prey for external enemy forces as well as internal threats. The importance of military forces to a sovereign state cannot be over stated. The presence of the military for a country connotes order and security. A country can rest easy knowing that it has a form of defense to fall back on should the need arise.
The various branches of the military usually fall under a division referred to as the Armed Forces. These forces are divided into three categories known as: the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. These forces are often being distinguished from civilians and other security operatives like the police force. This is as a result of the high level of training given to them in preparation for combat situations on land, in the air and on water.
These branches of the Armed Forces are charged with their various responsibilities. The Army deals with war and combat activities on land, the Air Force deals with combating enemy forces in the sky while the navy combats enemy forces on water.
Same as all other Armed forces, the Nigerian Armed Forces is also divided into three branches: the Nigerian Army (combat forces on land), the Nigerian Air Force (combat forces in the air) and the Nigerian Navy (combat forces on water). Of the three branches of the armed forces in Nigeria the army has been identified as the largest. As with all other Nigerian armed forces, the Nigerian Navy also has its origin connected to the Royal West African Frontier Force; which eventually became the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The Nigerian Navy is the country’s defense force in open waters. It also maintains territorial boundaries on water ways. The current headquarters of the Nigerian Navy is located in Abuja. It has three daughter commands in Lagos, Bayelsa and Calabar. These commands have sub-commands which spread out to cover the water regions of Nigeria. The foundation for the creation of the Nigerian Navy was laid in 1956. The Nigerian Navy was then pulled out of the Nigerian Marine in 1958 and was established by July 1959. The Nigerian Marine was split into three establishments, the first of which was called the Nigerian Ports Authority, followed by the Inland Water-ways Department and the final one was the Nigerian Naval Forces. The name was altered in 1963. From then on, it became the Nigerian Navy. The duty of the Nigerian Navy was clearly defined with the amendment of the constitution in 1964.
The Chief of Naval staff is the head of the Nigerian Navy. As is done within the Armed Forces, the head of all military par starters is always the highest ranking officer present. The Nigerian Navy is no different. The present Chief of Naval Staff is called Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.
What Are The Ranks Of The Nigerian Naval Officers
The ranks of the Nigerian Navy are classified into two: commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers. Commissioned officers are the senior officers who have a commission from the federal government. The non-commissioned officers are the junior officers who have not earned a commission.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Beginning from the highest rank to the lowest these are the ranks of commissioned officers in the Nigerian Navy
Admiral of the Fleet: In the history of the Nigerian Navy, this rank has been yet to be attained.
Admiral: This is the second rank in the Nigerian Navy and so far, it is the highest rank that has ever been attained in the Nigerian Navy.
Vice Admiral
Rear Admiral commodore
Commodore
Captain
Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant
Acting sub-lieutenant
Mid-shipman: This is the least rank among the commissioned officers ranks.
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Non-Commissioned officers are responsible for management and running of not just the Nigerian Navy but also all other military bodies. Though viewed as junior officers, they are of great importance as the Navy or the military for that matter cannot efficiently function without them. This is a list of the ranks of Non-commissioned officers in the navy from the highest rank to the lowest.
Warrant Chief Petty Officer: This is the number one in this category
Chief Petty Officer
Leading Rating
Able Rating
Ordinary Rating
Trainee: The trainee is the least ranked officer in the Nigerian Navy.
What Are The Military Ranks In Nigeria
The ranks of the Nigerian Navy have been listed above here are the ranks of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force.
Nigerian Army Ranks
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS NON- COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Field Marshal Warrant officer Class I
General Warrant Officer Class II
Lieutenant General Staff Sergeant
Major General Sergeant
Brigadier General Corporal
Colonel Lance Corporal
Lieutenant Colonel Private
Major Recruit
Captain
Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Nigerian Air Force Ranks
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Marshal of the Nigerian Air Force
Air Chief Marshal
Air Marshal
Air vice Marshal
Air Commodore
Group Captain
Wing Commander
Squadron Leader
Flight Lieutenant
Flying Officer
Pilot Officer
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Air Warrant Officer
Master Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
Flight Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Lance Corporal
Aircraftman
Recruit
How Much Do Nigerian Navy Officers Make, Earn Per Month
The salary of some Commission officers ranks of the Nigerian Navy are as follows:
Admiral of the Fleet – This position has not yet been attained
Admiral – collects about N 1,358,595 monthly and N 16,303,140 per annum.
Vice Admiral – collects about N 1,113,602 and N 13,363,229 per annum.
Rear Admiral Commodore – earns N 1, 003,245 monthly and N 12,038,945 annually.
Commodore – monthly earns N 615,488 and yearly earns N 7,385,856
Captain – collects N 309,655 and N 3,715,859 per annum.
Commander – has a monthly salary of N 281,674 and a yearly salary of N 3,380,086.
Military Ranks In Nigeria And Their Equivalent
As has early been stated, the Nigerian Military constitutes of the Nigerian Army, Air Force and Navy. The ranks and the equivalent are as follows:
The first in rank in Nigerian Army is the rank of Field Marshal, for the Air Force this rank is known as Marshal of the Nigerian Air force and that of the Navy is referred to as Admiral of the Fleet.
The second rank for the army is the rank of the General, for the Air force, this is known as the Air Chief Marshal and that of the Navy is referred to as Admiral.
The next in rank is the Lieutenant General for the Nigerian Army, the Air Marshal for the Nigerian Air Force and Vice Admiral for the Nigerian Navy.
In the Army the next in line is the rank of Major General the equivalent of this rank in the Air force is called Air vice Marshal, and the Navy is Rear Admiral.
The army rank of Brigadier General is equivalent to the office of the Air Commodore of the Air Force and the Commodore of the Navy.
The Colonel of the Nigerian Army is equivalent to the Group Captain of the Air Force and the post of Captain in the Navy.
The next is that of the Lieutenant Colonel of the Nigerian Army, whose equivalent in rank is the Wing Commander of the Nigerian Air Force and the Commander of the Nigerian Navy.
The Major of the Army, the Squadron Leader of the Air Force and the Lieutenant Commander of the Navy are all of equivalent ranks.
The position of the Army Captain is similar to that of the Flight Lieutenant in Air Force and the Lieutenant in the Navy.
The Army rank of First Lieutenant is similar to that of a Flying Officer of the Nigerian Air Force and a Sub-Lieutenant of the Nigerian Navy.
The lowest rank of Commissioned Officers in the Nigerian Army is that of the Second Lieutenant, that of the Nigerian Air Force is a Pilot Officer and that of the Navy is known as the Mid-shipman.
How Much Does The Lowest Rank In The Nigerian Navy Earn, Make Per Month
Among the three branches of the Nigerian Armed forces, the Air Force has the highest paying salary structure. They are followed by the Army and finally the Navy. Although the salary structure of most Naval ranks is not available to the general public, an educated guess can be made to determine an approximate of what is being earned by the lowest naval rank. The salaries of the junior officers of the Armed Forces are rather identical. The Private of the Nigerian Army earns about N 49,000 monthly, the Aircraftman of the Air Force earns about N 53,000 therefore, the Trainee of the Nigerian Navy would also earn within this range. This opinion however is not absolute; it is based more on speculation than fact.
By joining the military, a person officially commits to dangerous situations should the need arise. It takes quite a lot of courage to take up an employment that requires the taking of lives should there arise the need for such an act. But soldiers make this commitment to their country. They often court danger and sometimes do not make it out alive. Their labor and sacrifice for their country cannot be adequately repaid.