The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has revealed that some retirees in the country are receiving low pensions, with monthly payments ranging from just N500 to N3,500, News About Nigeria reports.
Alhassan Musa, the NUP Secretary for Kaduna State, shared these concerns in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He expressed deep worry over the dire circumstances many pensioners are enduring.
“These individuals sacrificed their lives and service for the nation, yet they are now left to survive on paltry sums,” Musa lamented.
Musa pointed out that the situation is particularly severe in some southern and oil-producing states, despite these regions receiving substantial allocations from the federation account.
In contrast, pensioners in some northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are comparatively better off, receiving between N3,500 and N18,000 monthly.
“The worst affected are pensioners in most of the southern and oil-producing states, despite getting fat allocations from the federation account,” Musa noted.
“The condition of pensioners in some Northern states and the FCT is far better, with some receiving between N3,500 and N18,000 monthly pensions.”
However, Musa acknowledged that Kaduna State stands out as an exception in the northern region.
Under the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i, the state implemented a minimum pension of N30,000 in 2020.
To address the worsening economic challenges faced by retirees, Musa advocated for a 50% upward revision of the minimum pension.
He stressed that this increase is essential to align with the current socio-economic realities in Nigeria.
“Even when the national minimum wage was N30,000, we proposed a 50% increment in pensions. Now, with the new N70,000 national minimum wage, this adjustment is even more critical,” he stated.
Musa also called on the Federal Government to ensure that no pensioner receives less than N70,000 monthly, aligning pension payouts with the new minimum wage for workers.
“If workers are receiving a minimum salary of N70,000, pensioners should enjoy the same benefits. The minimum pension should be at par with the national minimum wage,” he added.
In a call to action, Musa urged Governor Uba Sani to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, El-Rufa’i, by being the first governor to implement the N70,000 minimum pension.
