Niger State Starts Paying Gratuities to Retirees

The Niger State Pension Board has started paying gratuities to retirees from the state and local governments. They are also paying death benefits to the families of those who have passed away. This move aims to clear the backlog of benefits in the state.

The Director-General of the Board, Nasiru Namaska, launched the payment process in Minna. He praised Governor Mohammed Bago for releasing funds to pay off the outstanding gratuity debts owed to retirees.

Namaska mentioned that some retirees had been waiting for their gratuity for over 10 years. He explained that the Bago administration took on a large backlog of payments and has been releasing funds in batches to settle these debts.

So far, the government has released about ₦7 billion to pay off these gratuity debts. The director-general stated that eligible recipients in this batch will receive 100 percent of their approved gratuity, following the governor’s order.

Payments are being made through cheques. Namaska urged retirees whose names are not on the current list not to worry. He assured them that their cases would be reviewed and that they would be included in future batches.

He also asked beneficiaries to be patient as the Board works to clear the remaining debts. Regarding death gratuity, Namaska explained that the family members of deceased beneficiaries need to provide a Letter of Administration or a court declaration before payment can happen.

Additionally, if there are two beneficiaries, both must be present to collect the cheque. The director-general encouraged beneficiaries to cash their cheques and deposit them in their bank accounts within the day.

He also thanked the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mu’azu Jantabo, for helping to set up the payment process for local government retirees. The Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Joanna Pada, praised Mr Bago for approving the funds and urged beneficiaries to spend their money wisely.

This latest payment comes after years of worries about unpaid gratuities and retirement benefits in Niger State. In May 2024, Governor Bago announced ₦25 billion to pay off outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to retired civil servants.

This announcement followed years of complaints from retirees about delays after retirement. An investigation by The ICIR in February 2024 highlighted the struggles faced by retirees due to unpaid benefits and reported on their protests.

The government then started payments to an initial group of 335 retirees in July 2024. By November 2024, the Pension Board reported that it had paid over ₦4 billion in eight batches. However, the payment process faced delays later on. In December 2025, the Niger State Council of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners said gratuity payments had stopped at Batch 11 for state retirees, and local government retirees had not received payments beyond Batch 2. The Union called for payments to resume.

In January 2026, Governor Bago announced plans to restart gratuity payments and directed the relevant authorities to ensure that the funds reach the right people. He also mentioned that the state had no outstanding pension or salary debts at that time.

Before the latest round of payments began, Mr Namaska took journalists on a tour of the Pension Board’s archives. He explained that the board retrieves, sorts, and checks beneficiaries’ files and records before processing payments.

Namaska said this verification process is meant to ensure accuracy and prevent mistakes in handling public funds. For some beneficiaries, this payment means relief after a long wait.

Tukura Kwaliki, one of the beneficiaries, called the payment a big deal after years of uncertainty. He said, "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 collected the death benefit for her family, this payment was especially important given their loss. She said, "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."

This payment exercise is part of the Niger State Government’s ongoing efforts to settle debts owed to retired state and local government workers and families of deceased beneficiaries.