The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Tolulope Odunaiya, has reiterated the agency’s commitment to improving the welfare of Nigerian pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). She gave the assurance during the maiden stakeholders’ interactive session held in Lagos.
Odunaiya highlighted several reforms undertaken by PTAD to enhance service delivery and restore dignity to retirees. Key among the reforms is the establishment of a reliable pensioners’ database, the elimination of ineligible individuals from the payroll, and ensuring timely and accurate payments to pensioners.
According to her, “This platform is not just about transparency and accountability, but also about building trust with our pension community.” She explained that PTAD’s initiatives have reduced the burden of verification on elderly pensioners while improving operational efficiency.
Among the major reforms is the “I Am Alive Confirmation” (IAAC) solution, which allows pensioners to confirm their status without travelling long distances for physical verification. This innovation, she noted, has saved the government huge sums of money previously spent on physical verification and improved the dignity of pensioners.
Odunaiya disclosed that PTAD had fully implemented the 20/28 per cent pension increment of 2024 and cleared all related arrears. She also confirmed partial payments of the N32,000 monthly pension increment, despite the increment being announced after the 2025 budget estimates had already been submitted.
“This unprecedented second increment of 2024 was approved in August, yet we have already started settling arrears across various departments including the Civil Service, Parastatals, Customs, Immigration, Prisons, and Police,” she said. According to her, over ₦27.5 billion has been paid out, while an additional ₦45.1 billion is needed to fully implement the N32,000 increase up to December 2025.
She acknowledged delays in the full implementation of the N32,000 monthly increase, the backlog in backend computations for some sectors, and the slow restoration of some pensioners to the payroll after completing IAAC. However, she assured the audience that the Directorate is addressing these issues through financial restructuring and technology upgrades.
“We are making significant improvements in our IT infrastructure and expanding our administrative reach to provide real-time responses to pensioners,” she said. She also noted that PTAD is lobbying for additional funding to meet the rising cost of pension payments brought on by the double increments in 2024.
Odunaiya further revealed that PTAD had paused payments of arrears related to 10.66 per cent and 12.95 per cent increments for certain specialised agencies under the Parastatals Pensions Department (PaPD), pending clarifications from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC). She assured that payments will resume once issues are resolved.
Looking ahead, PTAD has begun preparing for 2026 with plans to harmonise pensions across different cohorts and implement healthcare coverage for DBS pensioners. “We aim to close the pension gap between retirees who left service at different times and under different salary structures,” she said.
On palliatives, Odunaiya clarified that PTAD is not in charge. “Palliatives fall under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. However, we have submitted our pensioners’ list and bank details to the ministry and have been following up to ensure they get what they deserve,” she said.
She described pensioners as essential partners in the Directorate’s work and emphasised the importance of collaboration over confrontation. “This session is not just to update you but to hear from you, get your feedback, and improve our service. We value your input as stakeholders, not just beneficiaries,” she said.
The interactive forum ended with Odunaiya’s assurance that PTAD remains committed to delivering a fair, efficient, and compassionate pension administration system, promising better service delivery and increased engagement with pensioners across the country.
