Diaspora Pensioners Slam PTAD Over Withheld Payments Despite Meeting Verification Requirements

Diaspora pensioners have voiced renewed frustration over persistent delays in receiving their pensions, alleging that the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) is withholding payments even after retirees submit all necessary documentation, including the mandatory proof of “aliveness.”

The complaints came shortly after PTAD announced that it had disbursed N3.9 billion in arrears to 91,146 pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme over the past week. The payments were part of the N32,000 increment approved by President Bola Tinubu. The breakdown included N1.9 billion to 59,865 pensioners under the Parastatals Pension Department, N830 million to 12,976 pensioners under the Civil Service Pension Department, N620 million to 9,689 pensioners under the Police Pension Department, and N551 million to 8,616 pensioners under the Customs, Immigration, and Prisons Pension Department.

Despite these payments, many retirees living abroad reported on PTAD’s official Instagram page that they had yet to receive their pensions. Ogochukwu Oge, a diaspora pensioner, wrote, “My pension was stopped more than a year ago; I provided all the relevant documents more than six months ago, and nothing has been done. When will you pay?” Another user, lyvia_place, questioned why pensioners who had completed the digital aliveness verification were still being denied their benefits, calling the situation “unfair and wicked.”

In response, PTAD stated that it is working with relevant authorities to address the complaints and promised to provide updates. The Directorate has previously emphasized that diaspora pensioners must submit a Certificate of Aliveness from the Nigerian Embassy or High Commission in their country of residence every six months, while all pensioners must confirm their status on the PTAD “I Am Alive” platform periodically to continue receiving monthly pensions. Failure to do so results in removal from payroll until aliveness is verified.