By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Presidential Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, has finalised the payment of December 2025 pensions covering a broad range of retired public servants, including civil service workers, police officers, personnel from parastatals, defunct and transferred agencies, and pensioners from tertiary education and health institutions. Also included are pensioners of the Customs, Immigration and Prisons services.

The payment, which brings relief to thousands of retirees during the festive season, signals the federal government’s commitment to timely pension disbursements after a year marked by policy shifts and administrative challenges in the pension landscape.

Beneficiaries reportedly began receiving their payment platforms as early as last week.

Pensioners expressed gratitude and relief, noting that prompt payment of pensions, especially in December, is critical for household budgeting, medical needs, and festive-season obligations.

Many pensioners had raised concerns earlier in the year about delays that affected monthly planning.
According to PTAD sources, the directorate worked closely with relevant PFAs and regulatory bodies to ensure that all eligible categories were captured and paid without discrepancies.

“We have worked tirelessly with our partners to ensure that every eligible pensioner in the civil service, security, health and education sectors receives their December 2025 entitlement,” a PTAD official said, adding that checks and reconciliations were completed ahead of schedule to forestall errors.

Just not long ago, retirees of the defunct Nigerian Airways stormed PTAD office in Abuja, seeking for support as they continue to struggle with long-delayed pension payments.

The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Mrs Tolulope Odunaiya, met with representatives of the Association of Airways Retired Workers of Nigeria, AARWN, to discuss longstanding pension-related concerns affecting former workers of the airline.

The central focus of the meeting was the proposed onboarding of Nigerian Airways pensioners onto the pension payroll.

Those in attendance included the Chairman of AARWN, Mr Onuh Stephen, and Mr Ahmed Sulu Gambari, who represented the collective interests of the retirees.

Speaking during the meeting, Mrs Odunaiya acknowledged the issues raised by the retirees and expressed empathy with their plight, saying PTAD remains committed to “the welfare and dignity of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.”

She, however, clarified the limits of the Directorate’s authority, noting that it “operates strictly within its statutory mandate and does not possess the authority to verify or onboard pensioners without formal directives from the appropriate authorities.”

Mrs Odunaiya further advised that the association should continue its engagement with the relevant authorities to secure approvals for the onboarding of its members who were pensioners of the defunct Nigerian Airways prior to its liquidation.

“Given the statutory limitations of onboarding new pensioners, it is advisable that the association continues its ongoing engagement with the relevant authorities to grant its request for onboarding of its members,” she explained.