Nigeria, Dec. 19 -- In every nation, there are groups whose contributions are visible and celebrated, and there are those whose sacrifices are carried quietly, etched into their bodies, their nerves, and their memories. Soldiers belong to the latter category. They return from service not with wealth or comfort, but with stories of danger, fragments of trauma, and bodies aged faster than their years. It is the responsibility of a grateful nation to honour such people, not merely with parades and medals, but with systems that ensure dignity long after the uniform is laid down.

Nigeria has not yet learnt this lesson.

Across the country, retired military officers, men who once commanded battalions, fought insurgencies, and defended fragile ...