To properly project the activities of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), its Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya, on Thursday harped on the important role of the media.
According to her, the media is needed to project the assiduous work PTAD is doing to change the narrative of pension payment in Nigeria.
She spoke in Abuja during the Training Workshop organized for Pension Correspondents and Online Editors.
Represented by the Director, Corporate Services Dept, Kabiru Yusuf, the Executive Secretary said "The importance of the media to the operations of PTAD cannot be overemphasised, which is why we deemed it necessary to organise this training.
"Over the years, PTAD has worked assiduously to change the narrative of pension payment in Nigeria, especially under the Defined Benefits Scheme, and we are proud to see that the hard work has yielded and has continued to yield positive results."
The training, she said, offers updates on PTAD mandate, operations, and its future plans.
The PTAD Boss also expressed appreciation for the robust support and collaboration the organization has had with the media over the years.
"It could not have been possible without the positive reportage the pension correspondents and online Editors have given PTAD." she stated
The Executive Secretary added "It is very important, as reporters, to understand where we are coming from, where we are, where we are headed, and what exactly we do, so you can report accurately.
"Pension management in Nigeria is a very sensitive issue, and PTAD has been at the forefront since inception, ensuring that the welfare of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme remains a priority.
"As our partner in progress, we rely on the media, especially our reporters to work with us to ensure that this mandate is fulfilled. It is our intention to foster the already-robust relationship between PTAD and the Media, correct all misrepresentations and inform them of next steps we intend to take as we work hard to ensure that the welfare of our pensioners is sustained."
Delivering a paper entitled 'Understanding the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (DBS) and PTAD's Oversight Role (mandate, structure and objectives), Kabiru Yusuf said that the various past leadership of the Directorate in the past twelve years have ensured that the culture of innovation, professionalism, transparency and commitment among other things continued to guide the ethos of its operations and processes.
Through early service innovation in the area of process automation, he said that PTAD built and expanded its operations swiftly and purposefully on the backbone of technology and competent staff.
This, according to him, led to visible successes in PTAD core mandate of pension payments and administration; improvement in the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of pensioners and mapping the course for the longer-term sustainability of DBS Pension Administration in Nigeria
The Director also reeled out the achievements recorded in the Directorate in the past twelve years and its challenges.
The achievements, he said, included "Design and development of a state-of-the-art Data Centre, equipped with modern equipment and relevant technical competency, that have been integrated into an optimal platform for deployment of top-quality information technology services to aid the Directorate in achieving its mandate,
"Creation of a comprehensive, integrated database of eligible pensioners with digitized career records, biometric/pictorial records and bank account details, following the successful completion of nationwide physical verification of eligible pensioners and Next of Kins across the four pension operational departments, and covering the six geopolitical zones and the FCT, between 2014 to 2019,
"Design and Implementation of Mobile Verification Services through the deployment of PTAD Mobile Verification Application to verify eligible and qualified pensioners who are aged, infirm, sick or physically challenged and thus unable to participate in the open-field verification exercise,
"Design of a Pension Benefit Computation Application that automatically uploads relevant data from the pensioner verification database to ensure consistently accurate and complete determination of pensioner benefits.
"Design and Development of a Complaints Resolution Management Portal and a Call Centre Management Solution (known as CC-Agent) to support efficient customer (pensioner) relationship management, complaints tracking and resolution,
"Design and development of a Payroll Manager, to accurately and seamlessly determine the monthly pension due to every eligible pensioner and consolidate into a payroll report for eventual payment.
"Continued payment of monthly pension to all eligible pensioners/NoKs’ on the pension payroll since DBS take over in 2014 to date. A total of NGN1,002 trillion has so far been paid as monthly pension to an average of 212,385 pensioners from the time of DBS take-over in 2015 to October 2025." he said
He listed other achievements to include "Design and development of a Pensioner I am Alive Confirmation Solution, through the creative use of technology and service excellence.
"The Directorate was awarded the best MDA in 2019 by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), in recognition of high level of compliance and ethics in its operation.
"The Directorate was awarded the most innovative Parastatal/MDA in 2023 by Servicom, in recognition of the creative & innovative use of technology in the design and implementation of its “I am Alive” Confirmation Application Solution.
"Additionally, in the same 2023, PTAD was adjudged, by Servicom, as the most improved customer focused service delivery Agency." he said
Speaking on the key challenges facing the Directorate, he said "The absence of statutory provision for pension to be a “first line charge” has often led to slight delays in meeting due obligations for pension and arrears payment, and with consequential impact on the welfare of these senior citizens.
"Absence of a defined framework for the implementation of the five-year cycle of pension increment as provided by the Constitution.
"Absence of clarity on some element of the DBS especially as it relates to the limit of Federal Government obligation for the pension rights of some category of primary school teachers, State with Federal share (SWFS) pensioners and pensioners severed under the Federal Government Public Service Reform that was managed by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms."
According to him, there is also the need to clarify the obligation of the Federal, State and Local Government in the administration and funding of the pension of primary school teachers.
Looking forward, he said that the Directorate seeks to sustain its technology capabilities and applications; the skills of its workforce which have been "honed in the critical areas of biometric verification, benefits computation, payments and complaints resolution and other operational know-how garnered over the years for improved service delivery."
Other heads of departments also delivered papers to highlight the activities of the Directorate.