Enhancing Nigerian Army Welfare Schemes Towards Improved Personnel Motivation

Abstract

Members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) are among the most vulnerable populations in the country due to hazards associated with the profession and the rising security challenges in the country. The AFN are involved in counter terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping, cattle rustling, banditry, secessionism and separatism operations across the country. These operations have resulted in loss of lives, permanent disabilities and other forms of hardships to members of the armed forces, especially Nigerian Army. For this reason, the Nigerian Army have found ways and means to improve the motivation of personnel through a variety of Welfare Schemes (WS). The main objective of this study, therefore, is to examine ways to enhance the welfare of Nigerian Army personnel towards improved personnel motivation. This paper proposes strategies improve staff welfare in order to enhance PM in NA. The paper provides an overview of WS and PM in NA problems and challenges associated with developing an effective WS for enhanced PM in the NA and strategies to improve WS in the NA. It is believed that the WS in the NA have yielded significant successes especially in the areas of accommodation and financial compensation for the families of some soldiers killed in active service. Nevertheless, there are notable gaps in the delivery of WS in the NA that have adversely affected the motivation of personnel. Consequently, this paper developed strategies to mitigate identified challenges using the General System Theory. Primary data were collected through unstructured interviews, discussions and questionnaires while secondary data were obtained from books, official documents and publications, journals, internet, published and unpublished material. The collected data were analysed using a qualitative method and presented in a descriptive analytical form.