The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has raised alarm over the dire conditions facing public sector retirees, many of whom are forced to survive on shockingly low monthly pensions. In a startling revelation, the union reported that some retirees are still receiving as little as N500 per month—a sum that can hardly support the most basic of needs.Alhassan Musa, the NUP Secretary in Kaduna State, described the situation as “pathetic,” underscoring that these pensioners are enduring severe hardship despite dedicating their lives in service to the country. "These retirees made significant sacrifices for the nation, yet now they find themselves struggling in precarious conditions," Musa lamented.Surprisingly, despite being from oil-producing states that receive generous allocations from the federation account, pensioners in many Southern states appear to be the worst off. In contrast, their counterparts in some Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) seem to be faring better, with monthly pensions ranging from N3,500 to N18,000.Kaduna State stands out as an exception in the Northern region, as the state has been paying a minimum pension of N30,000 since 2020, a reform initiated under the administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i. Alhassan Musa, who also serves as the NUP Secretary for the 19 Northern states and the North-West, credited the Kaduna government for being proactive in addressing pensioners' needs.Despite this positive development in Kaduna, Musa stressed the need for broader reform across the country. He pointed out that the NUP had previously proposed a 50% increment in pension payments even under the old N30,000 national minimum wage. With the recent introduction of the N70,000 national minimum wage, there are rising hopes that pensioners will also benefit from this adjustment.“We are eagerly anticipating a 50% increase that will align with the new N70,000 national minimum wage,” Musa stated. He emphasized that even within the Federal Government, some pensioners are still receiving as low as N10,000 per month, which is far below what is needed to maintain a basic standard of living.
