By Musa Ibrahim
For tens of thousands of retired public servants and families of deceased workers, December 2025 marked a significant turning point after years of delayed entitlements.
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) announced that it paid a total of N55.9 billion to pensioners and next-of-kin under the old Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) during the month. The disclosure was contained in an official statement signed and released by the Head of the Directorate’s Corporate Communications Unit, Mr. Olugbenga Ajayi.
According to the statement, the payments covered both regular monthly pensions and accumulated arrears owed across multiple pension departments.
“The PTAD has successfully disbursed a total sum of N55.9billion as monthly pensions and pension arrears to eligible pensioners and next-of-kins of deceased pensioners under the DBS in December 2025,” the statement said.
A breakdown of the figures shows that N13.41 billion was paid as monthly pensions to beneficiaries across all departments, including pensioners residing in the diaspora. The larger share, N42.5 billion, was deployed to clear outstanding arrears owed to retirees and next-of-kin.
PTAD explained that the arrears payments addressed long-standing obligations arising from the N32,000 pension increment, as well as the approved 10.66 percent and 12.95 percent pension increases. Other accumulated arrears, gratuities, and death benefits were also settled as part of the exercise.
“The arrears payment covers outstanding obligations arising from the N32,000 pension increment, as well as the 10.66 percent and 12.95 per cent pension increments, in addition to other accrued pension arrears, gratuity, and death benefits owed to eligible beneficiaries,” the statement added.
Departmental data highlighted the wide spread of beneficiaries. Under the Police Pension Department, N5.88 million was paid to five pensioners. The Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Department received N604.33 million, covering 8,606 pensioners.
The Civil Service Pension Department accounted for the largest number of beneficiaries, with N16.36 billion paid to 71,643 pensioners. Pensioners under the Defunct and Transferred Agencies Department received N15.07 billion, covering 24,995 retirees.
Under the Parastatals Pension Department, commonly referred to as PaPD, arrears payments totalled N7.81 billion for 25,718 pensioners. The Tertiary Education and Health Department, TEHD, received N2.37 billion, covering 28,245 pensioners.
In addition, PTAD released N289.11 million as gratuity and death benefits to eligible next-of-kin of deceased pensioners.
The Directorate noted that the latest disbursements have fully cleared arrears arising from the N32,000 pension increment across all pension departments, with the exception of one outstanding month each for pensioners under PaPD and TEHD.
“With these payments, arrears resulting from the N32,000.00 pension increment have been fully liquidated across all pension departments, except for one month each outstanding for pensioners in the PaPD and TEHD,” the statement said.
Commenting on the development, PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya, said the payments underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of senior citizens.
She said the disbursement “reflects President Bola Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of senior citizens, in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
Odunaiya further assured pensioners that the remaining one-month arrears owed to beneficiaries under the Parastatals Pension Department and the Tertiary Education and Health Department would be cleared, while the Directorate continues to roll out initiatives aimed at improving the welfare and overall well-being of Defined Benefits Scheme pensioners.
PTAD administers pensions for federal government workers who retired before the introduction of the contributory pension system in 2004. For many retirees still covered by the old scheme, the December 2025 payments represent a rare moment of financial relief and renewed confidence that long-standing pension obligations are gradually being resolved.
