Diaspora Pensioners Accuse PTAD of Withholding Payments Despite Completing Verification

Diaspora retirees under the Federal Government’s Defined Benefit Scheme have accused the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate of denying them their pensions even after completing all required verification steps, including the mandatory aliveness confirmation. Their complaints surfaced at a time the Directorate announced that it had released ₦3.9 billion in arrears to 91,146 verified pensioners over the past week as part of the ₦32,000 increment approved by President Bola Tinubu.

PTAD said the disbursement covered retirees in the Parastatals, Civil Service, Police, and Customs, Immigration and Prisons departments. However, several pensioners living abroad insisted they had not received any payment despite providing digital aliveness proof and other supporting documents. Some of them reported that their names were removed from the payroll more than a year ago, even after submitting updates through Nigerian embassies.

On PTAD’s official Instagram page, affected retirees questioned why diaspora pensioners who had completed all verification obligations were still being locked out of their entitlements. One complainant said she had been awaiting reinstatement for over six months after submitting her Certificate of Aliveness. Another user described the situation as unfair, asking why pensioners abroad were being penalised for not returning to Nigeria for physical verification.

PTAD responded that it was working with relevant authorities to resolve the outstanding issues and would provide updates once investigations were concluded. The Directorate also restated its earlier guideline that all pensioners must complete the “I Am Alive” confirmation every six months. Those who fail to do so are removed from the payroll and placed in the “likely deceased” category until they confirm their status.

PTAD added that diaspora pensioners who remain unverified must continue to submit Certificates of Aliveness from Nigerian embassies or high commissions twice a year in order to maintain their eligibility for monthly pension payments.