The Senate has approved the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board Bill after receiving it from the House of Representatives for concurrence. The legislation, passed following a clause-by-clause review by the Committee of the Whole, seeks to establish an independent pension board for police personnel and remove the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Lawmakers said the bill was necessary to address long-standing complaints from serving and retired officers over pension delays, administrative bottlenecks, and unequal welfare treatment compared with other security agencies operating under the Defined Benefit Scheme. They added that the new structure would improve welfare, morale, and retirement benefits across the Force.
During plenary, senators observed that the bill fulfilled a long-standing demand of police personnel and aligned the NPF with the Military and Intelligence Services, which already administer their own pension systems.
The bill contains two key provisions. The first establishes the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board—an independent statutory body responsible for managing retirement benefits, gratuities, and all pension-related matters for police personnel. This new board replaces the current arrangement overseen by the National Pension Commission.
The second provision formally exempts the NPF from the Contributory Pension Scheme through amendments to the relevant sections of the Pension Reform Act 2014. Lawmakers said the exemption addressed persistent concerns about disparities between police pensions and those of other security agencies.
According to the Senate, the new board is expected to boost the confidence of serving officers, ease financial pressure on retirees, and ensure a welfare framework comparable to other national security institutions.
With the approval of both chambers of the National Assembly, the harmonised bill will now be transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for Presidential Assent.
