The National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Godwin Abumisi, has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the payment of ₦39.6 billion, representing the 10.6 per cent pension increase arrears owed to retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
Abumisi made the remarks during an interview with TVC News shortly after the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and the Federal Ministry of Finance announced the disbursement on Friday.
According to the pensioners’ leader, the latest payment, alongside other pension-related interventions by the Federal Government, has reinforced the confidence of retirees in the administration’s commitment to their welfare.
He said, “We are very happy with the present government. No president in Nigeria has achieved as much as His Excellency, Bola Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, GCFR. No other president has done as much as he has.”
Abumisi also highlighted other pension initiatives he credited to the Tinubu administration, including the release of ₦758 billion to settle outstanding pension and gratuity arrears owed to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, as well as ₦58 billion for pension arrears due to beneficiaries of the Defined Benefit Scheme.
He stated, “He has released funds to pay 10.6 per cent arrears of pension increase, amounting to N39.6bn. He also made available the sum of N758bn for arrears of pension and gratuity for PENCOM, for contributory pensioners.”
He continued, “And he provided N58bn for the payment of pension arrears for those on the Defined Benefit Scheme.”
Expressing appreciation on behalf of pensioners, Abumisi added, “So we are congratulating him, we are thanking him, and we are appreciating all that he is doing for pensioners in Nigeria. We are hopeful he will do even more for us.”
Responding to questions on whether the recent developments had boosted pensioners’ confidence in the Federal Government, Abumisi said the administration has consistently demonstrated its commitment through the regular payment of monthly pensions.
According to him, “This government is very much committed to the welfare of elderly citizens in Nigeria. We also know he has plans in place for the regular payment of monthly pensions.”
He further stated that delays previously associated with pension payments had significantly reduced under the current administration.
Abumisi said, “Since he took office, Nigerian pensioners and elderly citizens have been paid their pensions regularly. We no longer have the problems we used to have.”
He added, “So I thank him, on behalf of all pensioners in Nigeria, for what he has done, and we expect him to do even more.”
The NUP president also urged pensioners across the country to continue supporting the government and back President Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general election.
He said, “My advice is that we should be loyal to this government, because no other government has done as much as he has. We should support his bid to return to office and ensure he comes back in 2027.”
The Federal Government had earlier announced the payment of more than ₦39 billion in inherited pension liabilities owed to retirees of several defunct public institutions, including the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTEL), Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Assurance Bank, NICON and the defunct People’s Bank of Nigeria.
According to PTAD, the disbursement includes ₦25.05 billion representing 35 months of pension liabilities owed to 9,675 eligible NITEL and MTEL pensioners.
The payment also covers ₦9.48 billion, representing the initial 50 per cent payment of Back End Computation arrears due to 3,959 PHCN pensioners.
In addition, ₦5.09 billion was released to settle the outstanding balance of the 10.66 per cent and 12.95 per cent pension increment arrears owed to 11,180 retirees of Assurance Bank, NICON, NITEL and the defunct People’s Bank.
PTAD Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya, described the payments as part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, explaining that presidential approval for the settlement was granted in August 2025, while funding was subsequently provided through the 2026 Appropriation Act.
