By Reportcircle Abuja
Nigeria’s fragile pension landscape entered a tense moment on Wednesday as the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) scrambled to defuse growing unrest among retirees amid threats of a dramatic street protest by a faction of pensioners.
In an emergency meeting held in Abuja, PTAD Executive Secretary Tolulope Odunaiya met with leaders of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) to address plans for a highly publicised “naked protest” by a breakaway group an action she warned could damage the dignity of senior citizens and derail ongoing reforms.
Odunaiya, flanked by top PTAD management, emphasised that while grievances must be heard, the agency remains firmly aligned with recognised unions who continue to engage peacefully and constructively.
The Executive Secretary used the meeting to highlight PTAD’s recent wins for pensioners, including:
Implementation of the ₦32,000 minimum wage pension increase
Approval and rollout of 10.66% and 12.95% pension increments
A newly secured ₦45 billion emergency allocation to offset arrears
She also clarified widespread misconceptions around the ₦25,000 palliative, stressing that it falls under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, not PTAD though the agency is closely monitoring developments and will issue updates.
Leaders of NUP and FEPPPAN distanced themselves from the proposed demonstration, insisting they were neither consulted nor supportive of actions they described as potentially harmful to pensioners’ image and negotiations.
Both unions reaffirmed their commitment to structured engagement and urged retirees nationwide to channel complaints through proper, recognised platforms.
Odunaiya welcomed the unions’ position, pledging deeper communication, more transparent updates and expanded consultative channels to ensure no pensioner is left unheard.
“Whatever our challenges, the dignity of our retirees must never be compromised,” she told the unions. “We remain committed to safeguarding your welfare through peaceful, coordinated and respectful dialogue.”
As tensions simmer, Wednesday’s intervention signals a determined push by PTAD to hold the pension community together preventing external agitation from overshadowing reforms at a critical moment in Nigeria’s pension administration.
