By Bisi Bamishe
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate has cleared a total of N1.18bn in pension arrears over the past five years, from 2020 to 2024, according to data obtained from BudgIT’s accountability platform, GovSpend, on Sunday.
These payments benefitted thousands of retired federal workers and are part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address long-standing pension liabilities affecting various sectors of the public service.
The payments varied annually, with the highest amount cleared in 2023. That year, PTAD paid N591.5m in pension arrarrears, an increase from the N152.8m cleared in 2020.
In 2021, a total of N59.08m was cleared, followed by N39.26m in 2022. In 2024, PTAD disbursed N343m, ensuring a substantial portion of the arrears accumulated over several years was paid to pensioners.
The arrears covered various sectors, including university staff, retired civil servants, and former employees of defunct parastatals such as the Nigeria National Shipping Line and National Telecommunications.
The payments varied annually, with the highest amount cleared in 2023. That year, PTAD paid N591.5m in pension arrears, an increase from the N152.8m cleared in 2020.
In 2021, a total of N59.08m was cleared, followed by N39.26m in 2022. In 2024, PTAD disbursed N343m, ensuring a substantial portion of the arrears accumulated over several years was paid to pensioners.
The arrears covered various sectors, including university staff, retired civil servants, and former employees of defunct parastatals such as the Nigeria National Shipping Line and National Telecommunications.
Some of the payments also included those made to retired permanent secretaries, former accountants general, and various federal civil servants.
Other beneficiaries included retired staff from universities, ministries, and federal agencies, with payments ranging from several million naira to larger sums, such as N17.3m in April 2024 for arrears owed to NITEL workers.
