The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has held an emergency meeting with leaders of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) in a bid to halt a planned protest by a faction of pensioners. The session, attended by PTAD senior management, was convened to quell rising tensions, clarify outstanding issues, and safeguard the welfare and dignity of retirees.
Speaking at the meeting, PTAD Executive Secretary, Mrs. Tolulope Odunaiya, said the agency needed to reinforce unified communication with recognised unions and prevent actions capable of disrupting ongoing support efforts. She explained that the urgent engagement was necessary to avert a proposed “naked” protest, which she warned could escalate the situation.
Mrs. Odunaiya outlined several achievements already recorded by PTAD, including the implementation of the ₦32,000 minimum wage pension increase, the approved 10.66% and 12.95% pension increments, and the securing of a ₦45 billion emergency budget allocation for implementation and payment of arrears. She clarified that the widely discussed ₦25,000 palliative was being handled by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, not PTAD. According to her, the directorate is following up with the ministry and will provide updates when available.
Leaders of NUP and FEPPPAN also addressed the gathering, distancing their unions from the planned protest. They reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful dialogue and urged pensioners to channel complaints through recognised structures.
Responding, Mrs. Odunaiya reiterated PTAD’s commitment to improved communication and structured engagement. She said the agency would continue working closely with the unions to uphold the dignity and well-being of all pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
