Pensioners Praise Tinubu As FG Clears N39.6bn Pension Arrears

Nigeria’s pension arrears payment has drawn fresh praise from retirees, and the timing could not be better. The Nigeria Union of Pensioners says the latest disbursement proves that President Bola Tinubu genuinely cares about the welfare of elderly citizens across the country.

Godwin Abumisi, the union’s National President, made the comments during an interview with TVC News. His remarks came shortly after the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, working alongside the Ministry of Finance, confirmed the disbursement on Friday. The government approved N39.6bn to cover a 10.6 per cent pension increase owed to retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme, and pensioners clearly feel the wait was worth it.

“We are very happy with the present government,” Abumisi said. According to him, no Nigerian leader has matched Tinubu’s record on pension welfare. He didn’t hold back his enthusiasm, insisting that history will remember this administration favourably.

Breaking Down the Pension Arrears Payment

Abumisi didn’t stop at the N39.6bn figure. He also highlighted other interventions that, in his view, paint a broader picture of commitment. The Federal Government reportedly released N758bn to settle pension and gratuity arrears for contributory pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme. Additionally, N58bn went toward pension arrears for retirees still under the Defined Benefit Scheme.

“He has released funds to pay 10.6 per cent arrears of pension increase, amounting to N39.6bn,” Abumisi explained. He then added that the government “provided N58bn for the payment of pension arrears” for Defined Benefit Scheme retirees. Because of this, pensioners across Nigeria are voicing gratitude rather loudly these days.

“So we are congratulating him, we are thanking him, and we are appreciating all that he is doing for pensioners in Nigeria,” he said. He also expressed hope that even more support would follow.

Regular Payments Restore Confidence

When asked whether this pension arrears payment had strengthened pensioners’ trust in government, Abumisi pointed to something arguably more important than a one-time payout: consistency. He noted that monthly pensions have been paid regularly since Tinubu took office, which marks a significant shift from previous years.

“This government is very much committed to the welfare of elderly citizens in Nigeria,” he said. He further mentioned that the administration has laid out plans for sustained, timely monthly disbursements going forward.

Delays used to plague Nigeria’s pension system, but Abumisi says those days are largely behind pensioners now. “Since he took office, Nigerian pensioners and elderly citizens have been paid their pensions regularly,” he noted. “We no longer have the problems we used to have.”

He thanked the President on behalf of pensioners nationwide and expressed optimism about future support. Beyond gratitude, though, Abumisi used the moment to rally pensioners politically. He urged them to remain loyal to the government and back Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general election. “We should support his bid to return to office and ensure he comes back in 2027,” he said.

Where the N39bn Actually Came From

Separately, the Federal Government confirmed on Friday that it had cleared more than N39bn in inherited pension liabilities. These arrears belonged to retirees of defunct organisations, including Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, Mobile Telecommunications Limited, Power Holding Company of Nigeria, Assurance Bank, NICON, and the former People’s Bank of Nigeria.

Per PTAD’s breakdown, N25.05bn covered a 35-month pension liability affecting 9,675 eligible NITEL/MTEL pensioners. Meanwhile, N9.48bn represented the first 50 per cent installment of Back End Computation arrears owed to 3,959 PHCN retirees. The remaining N5.09bn cleared outstanding 10.66 per cent and 12.95 per cent pension increment arrears for 11,180 pensioners tied to Assurance Bank, NICON, NITEL, and People’s Bank.

PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya, described the settlement as proof of the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She noted that presidential approval had actually been granted back in August 2025, though funding only became available once the 2026 Appropriation Act took effect. This timeline explains why pensioners waited months before finally seeing the money land in their accounts.

For many retirees, though, the wait mattered less than the outcome. Steady payments, cleared arrears, and renewed promises have combined to shift the national conversation around pension welfare in a more hopeful direction. Whether that optimism holds will likely depend on whether future disbursements arrive with the same consistency pensioners now expect.