The Niger State Pension Board has begun paying gratuities to state and local government retirees and death benefits to the next of kin of deceased beneficiaries as part of efforts to reduce the backlog of benefits in the state.
The Director-General of the Board, Nasiru Namaska, flagged off the payment in Minna, where he commended Governor Mohammed Bago for releasing funds to settle outstanding gratuity liabilities owed to retirees.
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Mr Namaska said that some beneficiaries had retired more than 10 years ago without receiving their gratuity.
He said the Bago administration inherited a huge backlog of liabilities and had been releasing funds in batches to address the outstanding obligations.
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According to him, the government has so far released about ₦7 billion towards the settlement of gratuity liabilities.
The director-general said eligible beneficiaries in the current batch would receive 100 per cent of their approved gratuity, in accordance with the governor’s directive.
Payments are being made through cheques.
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Mr Namaska urged retirees whose names were not included in the current batch not to panic, assuring them that their cases would be reviewed and that affected beneficiaries would be considered in subsequent batches.
He also appealed to beneficiaries to remain patient as the Board continue the process of clearing the outstanding liabilities.
Death benefits
On death gratuity, Mr Namaska said the next of kin of deceased beneficiaries must present a Letter of Administration or a court declaration before payment can be processed.
He added that where there are two beneficiaries, both must be present before the cheque can be released.
The director-general urged beneficiaries to collect their cheques and lodge them in their respective bank accounts before the end of the day.
He also commended the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mu’azu Jantabo, for providing the modalities that facilitated the payment to local government retirees.
The Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Joanna Pada, also commended Mr Bago for approving the release of funds and urged the beneficiaries to use their entitlements judiciously.
Retirees’ long wait
The latest payment comes against the background of years of concern over unpaid gratuities and retirement benefits in Niger State.
In May 2024, Governor Bago announced approval of ₦25 billion to pay outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to retired civil servants.
The announcement followed years of complaints and pressure from retirees over the delay after retirement.
An investigation published by The ICIR in February 2024 documented the difficulties faced by retirees over unpaid benefits and reported their protests.
The government subsequently flagged off payment to an initial batch of 335 retirees in July 2024.
By November 2024, the Pension Board said it had paid more than ₦4 billion in eight batches.
However, the payment process later faced interruptions. In December 2025, the Niger State Council of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners said gratuity payments had stopped at Batch 11 for state retirees, while local government retirees had not received payments beyond Batch 2. The Union called for the resumption of payments.
In January 2026, Governor Bago announced plans to resume gratuity payments and directed relevant authorities to reinvest the funds further to ensure payments go to genuine beneficiaries.
He also said the state had no outstanding pension or salary arrears at the time.
Archives verification
Before the commencement of the latest payment exercise, Mr Namaska took members of the media on a tour of the Pension Board’s archives.
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He explained that the board retrieves, sorts, and verifies beneficiaries’ files and records before processing payments.
He said the verification process is intended to ensure accuracy and prevent irregularities in the payment of public funds.
Beneficiaries speak
For some beneficiaries, the payment represents relief after years of waiting.
Tukura Kwaliki, one of the beneficiaries, described the payment as a significant moment after years of uncertainty.
“This is not just money to me. It is the reward for many years of service and sacrifice. After waiting so long, receiving this gratuity has brought relief to my family and me. I am grateful that the government has finally remembered people like us.”
For Zainab Suleiman, who came to receive the death benefit on behalf of her family, the payment was particularly significant given the circumstances of the claim.
“Losing a loved one is painful enough, and waiting for an entitlement after that loss makes it even harder. Today, we have received some relief. We sincerely appreciate everyone who made this possible, and we hope other families, still waiting, will also receive their entitlements.”
The latest exercise is expected to be part of the Niger State Government’s ongoing efforts to clear liabilities owed to retired state and local government workers and the families of deceased beneficiaries.
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