NDLEA Salary Structure in Nigeria 2025 According to Ranks

The NDLEA salary structure is one of the competitive salary structures in Nigeria in 2025 among its other paramilitary counterparts. When you are looking to build a career with the Nigerian paramilitary agencies, you should consider going with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The agency provides its personnel with good salary structures as well as other bonuses, benefits and allowances to ensure its personnel are well taken care of.

In this post, you will get an accurate insider  data about the NDLEA salary structure in Nigeria 2025 according to ranks and their various roles and/or positions, either as a graduate commissioned officers or the non-commissioned officers such as the o’level holders, Ordinary national diploma (OND) holders or the National Certificate of Education (NCE) holders respectively.

NDLEA salary structure

The NDLEA salary is a system process that entails the payroll of the NDLEA personnel for job welding. The payroll comes as monthly salaries to its personnel who work at least 25 days in a month. Asides the salaries, there are other bounties that come as benefits, bonuses and allowances to meet the agency’s personnel expenditure so that its personnel can have better lives.

Factors that may influence NDLEA salaries

There are several factors that may influence the NDLEA salary structure for it personnel, some which includes:

1. Rank
The higher the rank, the higher the earnings significantly the less the rank the lower salary. For instance, a commissioned officer earns more when compared to a non-commissioned officer. On the other hand, the Commander General of Narcotics (CGN) receives a higher salary than a Narcotic Agent personnel.

2. Educational Qualifications
Officers who were enlisted into the NDLEA with advanced degrees and professional certificates such as Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees, may start at higher ranks and receive better salaries when compared to those with O’Level or National Diploma and the NCE.

Years of Service
The length of service of a personnel may impact salaries through promotions, pay increment, bonuses, and allowances.

Special Assignments and Roles
NDLEA personnels who are in specialized units or high-risk operations locations may receive additional bonuses and allowances that may impact their earnings.

Government Policies and Budget Allocation
The NDLEA salary may fluctuate based on the federal government’s budgetary constraints, reviews, or policy changes that will affect the paramilitary sector or the agency.

The above factors may collectively determine the earning of NDLEA personnels.

NDLEA salary structure for graduate

The NDLEA salary structure for graduates who are enlisted into the agency with HND or Bsc certificates has a salary range of ₦120,000 – ₦150,000 monthly. 

NDLEA salary structure for o level

The NDLEA salary structure for o level holders who are enlisted into the agency with SSCE certificate has a salary range of ₦70,000 – ₦76,000 monthly.

NDLEA salary structure for OND and NCE

The NDLEA salary structure for OND and NCE holders who are enlisted into the agency with (Ordinary National Diploma) OND and National certificate of education (NCE) certificate has a salary range of ₦79,000 – ₦85,000 monthly.

ALSO SEE:

NDLEA Recruitment 2025 Application Registration Form

NDLEA Ranks and Symbols to be Familiar with

NDLEA salary structure and rank

Here is a list of NDLEA salary structures according to their ranks in 2025. Although, their positions, year in service and courses understood by individual personnel salaries may vary.

NDLEA salary structure for Superintendent Cadre 

Here are list of salaries for NDLEA superintendent cadre personnel who joined the agency as a commissioned officers with Bsc and HND:

NDLEA Superintendent Cadre ranks  Monthly salaries

Ranks	Monthly Salaries
Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics II or ASN II: (GL 08).	₦120,000
Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics I or ASN I: (GL 09).	₦150,000
Deputy Superintendent of Narcotics or DSN: (GL 10).	₦175,000
Superintendent of Narcotics or SN: (GL 11).	₦184,000
Chief Superintendent of Narcotics or CSN: (GL 12).	₦203,000
Assistant Commander of Narcotics or ACN: (GL 13).	₦209,000
Deputy Commander of Narcotics or DCN: (GL 14).	₦215,000
Commander of Narcotics or CN: (GL 15).	₦231,000
Assistant Commander General of Narcotics or ACGN: (GL 16).	₦395,000
Deputy Commander General of Narcotics or DCGN: (GL 17).	₦510,000

NDLEA salary structure for Narcotic Agent Cadre

Here are list of salaries for NDLEA Narcotic agent cadre personnel who joined the agency as a non-commissioned officers with OND, NCE and school of nursing certificate:

NDLEA Narcotic agent cadre ranks  Monthly salaries 

Ranks	Monthly Salaries
Narcotics Agent or NA: (GL 05).	₦79,000
Senior Narcotics Agent or SNA: (GL 06).	₦82,000
Chief Narcotics Agent or CNA: (GL 07).	₦85,000

NDLEA salary structure for Narcotic Assistant Cadre

Here are list of salaries for NDLEA Narcotic assistant cadre personnel who joined the agency as a ratings with SSCE certificate:

NDLEA Narcotic assistant cadre ranks Monthly salaries 

Ranks	Monthly Salaries
Narcotics Assistant III or NAS III: (GL 02).	₦70,000
Narcotics Assistant II or NAS II: (GL 03).	₦73,000
Narcotics Assistant I or NAS I: (GL 04).	₦76,000

How much is NDLEA training allowance?

The NDLEA training allowance for trainees of SSCE holders, Ordinary national diploma (OND) holders and National education certificate (NCE) holders is around ₦18,000 – ₦28,000. While graduate trainees with Bsc and HND certificates are paid ₦30,000 – ₦47,000 respectively.

Frequently Asked Questions About NDLEA Ranks and Salary Structure

Here are frequently asked questions and answers about the NDLEA salary structure in 2025.

What is the starting salary for NDLEA commissioned officers in 2025?

The starting salary for NDLEA graduates commissioned officers is around ₦120,000 – ₦150,000 monthly for Bsc and HND. However, the salary depends on their entry-level rank and qualifications. For instance, a commissioned officer may earn a higher salary based on the entry level, rank and qualifications based on Consolidated Paramilitary Salary Structure (CONPASS) when compared to another officer who doesn’t have these qualities.

Are NDLEA salaries based on the CONPASS system in 2025?

Yes, NDLEA salaries in 2025 are structured under the Consolidated Paramilitary Salary Structure (CONPASS), which is determined by years of active service, rank and other qualifications.

What allowances do NDLEA officers receive apart from their basic salary?

NDLEA officers in 2025 receive several allowances, including:

• Medical benefits (health insurance)
• Housing allowance
• Transport allowance
• Hazard allowance (for high-risk duties)
• Uniform allowance

Has the NDLEA salary structure increased in 2025?

There have been a great deal of adjustments to NDLEA salaries in 2025 following government reforms that are aimed at improving paramilitary pay. These changes reflect increased budget allocations for security and law enforcement agencies at large.

How does the NDLEA salary compare to other paramilitary agencies in Nigeria in 2025?

The NDLEA have competitive salaries when compared to other paramilitary organizations like the Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Police Force, Civil Defense Corps and Nigerian Immigration Service. The addition of specific allowances for NDLEA personnel makes their overall package quite attractive.

Conclusion

The NDLEA salary structure comes with a competitive package that makes it attractive when compared to its other paramilitary counterparts. If you are planning to join the NDLEA and you are not sure of what their salary structure is, this website is designed specifically to give you up to date information regarding anything you need to know about the NDLEA recruitment, ranks and salary structure. Above is a comprehensive salary structure for NDLEA commission and non-commissioned officers to help you stay on track when choosing this career path.