The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Ms Tolulope Odunaiya, has disclosed that a total of N1,002 trillion has so far been paid as monthly pension to an average of 212,385 Pensioners from the time of DBS take-over in 2015 to October 2025.
Ms Odunaiya, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking at a One-Day Capacity Building Workshop for Pension Correspondents and Online Editors in Abuja.
TheFact Daily reports that the training workshop was organised to sharpen and deepen the knowledge of the journalists on the mandate, operations, as well as the future plans of the PTAD.
Represented by the Director, Corporate Services Department, Mr Kabiru Yusuf, the PTAD boss said over the years, PTAD has worked assiduously to change the narrative of pension payment in Nigeria, especially under the DBS, and is proud to see that the hard work has yielded and has continued to yield positive results.
She also mentioned that pension management in Nigeria is a very sensitive issue, and PTAD has been at the forefront since inception, ensuring that the welfare of pensioners under the DBS remains a priority.
Noting that as partner in progress, the Directorate relies on the media, especially pension reporters to ensure that the mandate is fulfilled.
“It is our intention to foster the already-robust relationship between PTAD and the Media, correct all misrepresentations and inform them of next steps we intend to take as we work hard to ensure that the welfare of our pensioners is sustained,” she added.
PTAD said about fifty-five thousand (55,000) pension complaints were inherited from the Civil Service of the Federation related to about 3,000 qualified pensioners at the take off of the Directorate.
It also mentioned that across the four pension operational departments, it inherited an estimated N304 billion of unfunded pension liabilities.
Rolling out some of the achievements so far recorded, PTAD said it has secured Presidential approval for emergency budgetary funding of N45 billion for implementation of N32,000, 10.66% and 12% pension increment for all eligible pensioners on the payroll.
PTAD said it also secured Presidential approval for the liquidation of N39.2 billion of unfunded pension liability arrears owed to Parastatals pension and covering the period from August 2015 to July 2023.
It attributed these achievements to sustained operational processes and governance/regulatory control through the combined efforts of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and National Pension Commission (PenCom).
PTAD, however, stated that the absence of statutory provision for pension to be a “first line charge” has often led to slight delays in meeting due obligations for pension and arrears payment, and with consequential impact on the welfare of the senior citizens.
It listed the absence of a defined framework for the implementation of the five-year cycle of pension increment as provided by the Constitution, and the absence of clarity on some element of the DSS, especially as it relates to the limit of federal government obligation for the pension rights of some category of primary school teachers, state with federal share (SWFS) pensioners and pensioners severed under the Federal Government Public Service Reform that was managed by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms as challenges being faced by the Directorate, therefore stressed the need to clarify the obligation of the Federal, State and the Local Government in the administration and funding of the pension of primary school teachers.
