Lagos doesn’t have pension arrears, prioritises retirees, says Sanwo-Olu

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said the state currently has no pension arrears as he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritising the welfare of retirees.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gbenga Akosile, following a courtesy visit by the senior management team of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, led by its Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya, at Lagos House, Marina.

According to the statement, Sanwo-Olu said his administration holds pensioners in high esteem and will continue to treat them with dignity, fairness and equity.

“We in Lagos State understand and appreciate the lives and the time of our pensioners. We know that they have used very active parts of their lives serving the government at one point or another,” he said.

Highlighting reforms under the contributory pension scheme, the governor stated that Lagos had cleared all outstanding liabilities.

“On the contributing pension, we are the only state today that doesn’t have any pension arrears.

“In the last three years, we have cleared everything that is a liability on our pension. There is no pensioner that would say we owe three years’ money,” he said.

Highlighting reforms under the contributory pension scheme, the governor stated that Lagos had cleared all outstanding liabilities.

“On the contributing pension, we are the only state today that doesn’t have any pension arrears.

“In the last three years, we have cleared everything that is a liability on our pension. There is no pensioner that would say we owe three years’ money,” he said.

He added that retirees with complete documentation begin receiving their benefits within a short period after exiting service.

“What happens now is that if your documents are complete and you exit, within the first two to three months maximum, you should begin to enjoy everything that you have laboured for, and that is what we are seeing and confirming to you.

“For people who have served the country, the minimum we can do is to respectfully give them a space and a listening ear so that in their older years they can know that the government continues to remain appreciative.”

Sanwo-Olu also pledged continued support for PTAD to enhance the welfare and well-being of pensioners residing in Lagos.

Earlier, Odunaiya said the directorate was seeking to strengthen its working relationship with the Lagos State Government, noting that many of the nearly 200,000 pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme nationwide reside in Lagos.

“They are men and women who served Nigeria faithfully and are now in their retirement years. What they seek is simple: fairness, dignity, and access to the benefits they deserve,” she said.

She added that reforms approved in August 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme are aimed at enhancing social protection and dignity for senior citizens.

Culled from punch