Some Pensioners Receive as Low as N500 Monthly – Nigeria Union of Pensioners Laments

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) revealed that some retirees in Nigeria receive monthly pensions as low as N500 to N3,500. Alhassan Musa, NUP Secretary for Kaduna State, made this known during a media interview on Sunday.

He expressed concern over the situation and noted that pensioners in southern and oil-producing states are particularly affected despite these regions receiving substantial federal allocations. In contrast, pensioners in some northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) receive slightly better pensions, ranging from N3,500 to N18,000 monthly. Musa stated that Kaduna State implemented a minimum pension of N30,000 in 2020 under former Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i, a move other states have not yet followed.

He advised:

The union proposed a 50 per cent increment even under the defunct N30,000 national minimum wage. We anticipate that the 50 per cent increment will be approved in line with the new N70,000 national minimum wage. Even under the Federal Government, some pensioners receive N10,000 minimum pension.

We are hoping that the Federal Government will balance it so that no pensioner will receive less than N70,000 as their monthly pension. Let pensioners also enjoy the same benefits the workers are enjoying. If a worker receives N70,000 minimum salary, let the pensioner enjoy the same.

Another difficulty Musa mentioned is that some retirees have to wait up to 10 years to access their benefits. He attributed these delays to the failure of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to remit contributions as required.

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