The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has paid N3.8 billion in arrears to 30,356 pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). The payment, announced on August 14, 2026, covers inherited liabilities from various sectors, including civil service, police, customs, immigration, and prisons.
Breakdown of Payments
According to PTAD, the disbursement includes N1.2 billion for civil service pensioners, N800 million for police pensioners, and N600 million for customs, immigration, and prisons pensioners. The remaining N1.2 billion was allocated to other categories under the DBS.
The directorate noted that the arrears were for pensioners whose entitlements had been outstanding due to verification and documentation issues. PTAD has been working to clear these backlogs as part of its mandate to ensure timely payment of pensions.
Verification and Compliance
PTAD emphasized that the payments were made after thorough verification to ensure that only genuine pensioners received their entitlements. The exercise involved biometric and physical verification exercises, which helped to eliminate ghost pensioners and reduce fraud.
“We are committed to ensuring that all pensioners under the DBS receive their due entitlements without delay,” a PTAD official said. “This payment is part of our ongoing efforts to clear all outstanding arrears.”
Impact on Pensioners
The disbursement is expected to provide financial relief to thousands of pensioners who have been waiting for their arrears. Many of them rely on these payments for their livelihoods, and the release of funds will help improve their living conditions.
PTAD also assured that it is working on clearing the remaining arrears and encouraged pensioners to update their records to avoid any future delays. The directorate plans to continue its verification exercises and ensure that all eligible pensioners are captured in the database.
The payment brings the total amount disbursed by PTAD in 2026 to over N15 billion, according to the directorate. This is part of the government's broader effort to address the welfare of pensioners and ensure that they are not left behind.
