Abuja, Nigeria — August 9, 2025
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a package of measures aimed at improving the welfare of pensioners under the Federal Government’s Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) announced on Saturday.
In a statement signed by Mr. Olugbenga Ajayi, Head of Corporate Communications at PTAD, the President authorised an immediate extra-budgetary allocation to enforce newly approved pension rates for DBS retirees, including a minimum pension of ₦32,000.
The statement added that Tinubu has also approved the adoption of a pension harmonisation policy to be included in the 2026 budget, the settlement of outstanding liabilities — such as benefits owed to former NITEL/MTEL employees — and the provision of health-insurance coverage for all DBS pensioners from 2026.
While the approvals mark a significant step in pension reform under the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, PTAD did not disclose the total amount of the extra-budgetary allocation or a detailed implementation timetable. Actual payment timelines are expected to be clarified once the Ministry of Finance finalises disbursement arrangements.
The Defined Benefit Scheme covers federal pensioners who retired before the introduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme in 2004, including those from defunct and privatised public agencies.