Ranks in the Nigerian Army with Pictures

Joining the Nigerian Army is one of the greatest desires of many Nigerians; therefore, it’s essential to know the various ranks in the Nigerian Army (See what it takes to pass through NDA as an Army officer)   (See what it takes to pass through NDA as an Army officer)  . Well, if that’s what you are searching for, then you’re just on the right page.

This article will show you the ranks in the Nigerian Army, their symbols and their salary structure.

Ranks in the Nigerian Army. How is it’s segregated?

The Nigerian Army is designed with a definite rank structure where officers are commissioned and promoted into new ranks after years in a particular rank. Every rank in the Nigerian Army its uniform and Insignia so by looking at the uniform of an officer, you can tell their rank in the Army.

The Nigerian Army ranks are segregated into two categories: the commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers. This rank structure is the same as that of the United Kingdom.

 Nigerian Army rank structure for commissioned officers

The Nigerian Army has 11 ranks for commissioned officers. The commissioned offices are officers that have earned a commission. Below is the rank structure in ascending order.

1. Second Lieutenant
2. Lieutenant
3. Captain
4. Major
5. Lieutenant
6. Colonel
7. Brigadier General
8. Major General
9. Lieutenant General
10. General
11. Field Marshal

Nigerian Army rank structure for non-commissioned officers

There are eight (8) ranks for non-commissioned officers in the Nigerian Army. Below is the Nigerian army rank structure for non-commissioned officers in ascending order.

1. Recruit
2. Private
3. Lance-corporal
4. Corporal
5. Sergeant
6. Staff Sergeant
7. Warrant Officer Class II
8. Warrant Officer Class I

Nigerian army ranks and logo

Below is the logo of the Nigerian Army for download

Nigerian army ranks and salary

The Nigerian Army pays salaries to soldiers according to their rank and years of active service. The salary structure for commissioned officers is different from that of non-commissioned officers.

Below is the salary structure (See the salary structure for all military personnel in Nigeria) for commissioned officers. (This figure includes their basic salary and uniform allowance)

Second lieutenant – ₦173,000 – ₦187,000

Lieutenant – ₦187,000 – ₦218,000

Captain – ₦200,000 – ₦232,000

Major – ₦213,000 – ₦248,000

Lt. Colonel – ₦282,000 – ₦324,000

Colonel – ₦310,554 – ₦352,000

Brigadier General – ₦616,000 – ₦677,000

Major General – ₦1 – ₦1.3 million

Lt. General – ₦1.1 – ₦1.4 million

General – ₦1.3 – ₦1.7 million

While the salary structure for non-commissioned officers in the Nigeria army is as follows

Recruit – ₦10,000

Private Soldier – ₦49,000 – ₦53,000

Lance Corporal – ₦50,000 – ₦55,832

Corporal – ₦51,000 – ₦58,000

Sergeant – ₦56,000 – ₦69,000

Staff Sergeant – ₦69,000 – ₦87,000

Warrant Officer – ₦85,000 – ₦101,000

Master Warrant Officer – ₦148,000 – ₦165,000

Those are the salary structure of Nigerian soldiers according to their ranks and year of service in the force.

Nigerian Army ranks badges picture.

You can download the Nigerian army ranks badge/symbol picture below.

Nigerian army ranks and symbol

In this section of the article, I will be sharing with you the ranks in the Nigerian Army and their symbols.

• Field Marshal

This is the highest rank attainable in the Nigerian Army. However, nobody has been able to attain this position since the inception of the Nigeria Army.  

The Insignia of the Field Marshall is identified by a golden eagle and two crossed swords and a baton surrounded by two golden branches.

• General

The rank of the General is the highest office that has been attained by a Nigerian so far. The Insignia of the General contains two golden six-pointed stars, a silver eagle, a cross of sword and baton.

• Lieutenant General

This rank is the third most powerful rank in the Nigerian Army. The symbol of this rank has a crossed swords, a star, an eagle and a baton.

• Major General

The rank of the Major-General is the mid-level commissioned officer in the Nigeria Army. The Insignia of this rank is made up of cross swords, a golden eagle and a baton.

• Brigadier-General

This is the lowest ranking general officer in the Nigerian Army. The officers in this rank are responsible for leading brigades which comprises of 4000 troops—the Insignia of the brigadier-general consist of one silver eagle and three stars arranged in a triangular form.

• Colonel

A colonel is usually in charge of regiments. They are officers that are at the bottom of the commissioned officers ranks and the top of the field officer rank. The symbol of the office of the Colonel is one silver eagle and two vertically aligned stars

• Lieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant Colonel is one of the mid-level ranks for officers in the field officers ranks. The symbol for the Lieutenant rank is an eagle with silver lining and one star.

• Major

The rank of Major is regarded as the lowest field officer rank. The Insignia for the rank of Major is a silver eagle.

• Captain

This is the rank before that of the Major. The symbols comprise of three stars that are aligned vertically.

• Lieutenant

The rank of the lieutenant is subordinate to that of the captain. They are recognized as deputies to the captains. The Insignia for the Lieutenant are two vertically aligned stars.

• Second Lieutenant

This is the least rank in the hierarchy of commissioned officers in the Nigerian Army. They are second subordinates to captains. The Insignia for the rank of Second Lieutenant is a single star.

Ranks and Symbols of Non-Commissioned Officers in the Nigerian Army

• Master Warrant Officer

This is the highest attainable rank for non-commissioned officers in the Nigerian Army. They are popularly known as Master Sergeant. The coat of arms identifies the Insignia for the rank of a Master Warrant Officer.

• Warrant Officer

This is the second-highest non-commissioned ranks in the Nigerian Army. The Insignia for this rank is a golden eagle that is enclosed with golden olive trees.

• Staff Sergeant

The rank of Staff Sergeant is higher than the rank of a sergeant in the Nigerian Army. Its Insignia is identified by three V-shaped shoulder marks and a golden eagle on top.

• Sergeant

This rank is the highest junior non-commissioned officer in the Nigerian Army. The Insignia for the rank of Sergeant is a three ”V” shaped shoulder mark.

• Corporal

This rank is the second to the last rank amongst the ranks in the Nigerian Army. The rank is only higher than that of a Lance Corporal. Its Insignia is a two ”V” shaped shoulder mark.

• Lance Corporal

This is the lowest officer rank in the Nigerian Army. The Insignia for officers in this rank is a single ”V” shaped shoulder mark.

Order of ranks in the Nigerian Army

The order of ranks for officers in the Nigerian Army (Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers) is as follows:

1. Recruit – lowest non-commissioned officer rank
2. Private
3. Lance Corporal
4. Corporal
5. Sergeant
6. Staff Sergeant
7. Warrant Officers
8. Master Warrant Officers – Highest non-commissioned officer rank
9. Second Lieutenant – Lowest ranked commissioned officer
10. Lieutenant
11. Captain
12. Major
13. Lieutenant Colonel
14. Colonel
15. Brigadier General
16. Major General
17. Lieutenant General
18. General
19. Field Marshal – Highest attainable rank for commissioned officers

Abbey

Abbey Johnson has a Masters degree as an engineer and has over 3 years of teaching and research experience. He is happiest when on a bike and is also interested in electric energy and computer Science.