The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has revealed that some retirees in the country are still receiving as little as ₦500 as their monthly pension.
The NUP Secretary for Kaduna State, Alhassan Musa, highlighted this issue during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
He described the condition of these pensioners as “pathetic,” noting that many of them sacrificed their lives and services for the nation, yet are now living in precarious conditions.
Musa pointed out that the worst affected retirees are those in most Southern and oil-producing states, despite these regions receiving substantial allocations from the federation account.
In contrast, retirees in some Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are in a relatively better situation, with pensions ranging between ₦3,500 and ₦18,000 monthly.
He further explained that only in Kaduna State, under the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i, has a minimum pension of ₦30,000 been implemented since 2020.
Given the current economic conditions, Musa advocated for a 50% increase in the minimum pension to enhance the social and economic wellbeing of retirees. He emphasized the need for this increment to align with the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000.
“The union had already proposed a 50% increase even under the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage. We are hopeful that this increase will be approved in line with the new ₦70,000 minimum wage,” Musa stated.
He also highlighted that some federal pensioners are still receiving as low as ₦10,000 as their minimum pension.
Musa called on the federal government to ensure that no pensioner receives less than ₦70,000 monthly, urging that pensioners should enjoy the same benefits as current workers.
“If a worker is receiving ₦70,000 as a minimum salary, pensioners should be entitled to the same,” he asserted.
