A non-governmental organisation, the Defend Trust Fund Campaign (DTFC), has announced an ambitious plan to raise a staggering ₦100 billion for a national welfare and empowerment fund. This massive endowment is specifically designed to support the families of Nigeria’s military and paramilitary personnel, ensuring that those who stand behind the uniform are adequately cared for by the nation they serve.
The initiative, branded the “Defend Trust Fund,” aims to establish a sustainable national mechanism that will “restore dignity and hope” to families who frequently find themselves struggling with socioeconomic neglect and distress after their loved ones are killed or injured in the line of duty.
The launch of the campaign was announced in Kaduna by Mr Mohammed Thompson, the Lead Advocate of the campaign, at a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat. Thompson outlined a four-month timeframe for the initial phase of the movement, running from 6th October 2025 to 14th January 2026, during which the organisation plans to collect 100,000 citizens’ signatures to demonstrate broad public support for the project. The ultimate goal is the formal establishment of the Defence Families Empowerment and Development Trust Fund.
Thompson emphasised the immense personal sacrifices made by Nigeria’s armed forces and paramilitary services. “Every day, men and women of Nigeria’s armed forces and paramilitary services put on their uniforms to defend the nation, often at great personal risk,” he said. He pointed out that behind each of these brave individuals stands a family—spouses, children, parents, and loved ones—who carry immense, often silent burdens.
The campaign was born out of deep concern over the socioeconomic hardship faced by these families. Thompson lamented that in many cases, families suffer profound financial distress, emotional trauma, inadequate psychosocial support, and often face the indignity of eviction from barracks after losing their sole breadwinners. He stressed that too often, “when the nation moves on, these families are left behind.”
Drawing on his own challenging upbringing in a military barracks, Thompson described the campaign as “deeply personal.” He recalled seeing “more obituary pictures than birthday or wedding pictures combined,” and witnessing the poverty that gripped the families of non-commissioned officers due to meagre salaries and a complete absence of structured financial support systems. He argued passionately that the campaign is fundamentally about securing justice, dignity, and hope for the dependants of those who protect the country.
The proposed Defend Trust Fund is designed to function not merely as a temporary charity, but as a sustainable national social justice mechanism. Its purpose is to institutionalise support, helping military and paramilitary families lead productive and secure lives. The range of support measures is comprehensive, including providing essential scholarships for children’s education, entrepreneurship grants to help widows and spouses start small businesses, vocational training to build new skills, cooperative financing to pool resources, and critical psychosocial support for individuals coping with trauma and loss.
Thompson stated that the initiative aligns perfectly with the current administration’s economic inclusion agenda and its commitment to implementing reforms aimed at protecting vulnerable groups. He highlighted that establishing a structured, sustainable trust fund for service families would provide a crucial mechanism to uplift those who have been consistently underserved.
To maximise its reach and influence, the DTFC is operating in partnership with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), recognising the media’s vital role in shaping public opinion, driving policy advocacy, and influencing positive social change. Through this collaboration, the campaign seeks to galvanise nationwide awareness and mobilise citizen voices to make the ambitious ₦100 billion fund a reality.
The campaign’s model draws inspiration from successful international examples where governments have implemented statutory funds and grant schemes to support service families. Thompson specifically cited the UK’s Armed Forces Covenant Fund, Canada’s Military Families Fund, and similar veteran and service family trust programmes in the United States, concluding that for the sake of its security forces and their dependants, “Nigeria must not be left behind.” The establishment of this fund is viewed as a necessary commitment that reflects the nation’s gratitude and responsibility towards its heroes.
