The Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria has declared its intention to embark on a nationwide protest on December 8, accusing the federal government of neglecting long-overdue financial obligations owed to retired workers.
In a statement released in Lagos, Mukaila Ogunbote, National Chairman of the coalition and head of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners’ NIPOST chapter said the group has exhausted every formal avenue for dialogue with government institutions. After months of letters, meetings, and appeals, he explained, pensioners have seen no action from key agencies responsible for releasing the funds.
At the centre of the dispute are arrears tied to a ₦32,000 pension increment and a ₦25,000 palliative allowance, both approved in 2023 but yet to be released to many federal retirees. Ogunbote said the failure to pay these entitlements has pushed thousands of elderly pensioners, many already in fragile health, into severe financial hardship.
The planned demonstrations will hold in Abuja, Lagos, and state capitals across the country. Protesters intend to gather at offices of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), as well as at Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) stations, to maximize visibility and national attention. According to the coalition, these strategic locations will help highlight what they describe as systemic failures in Nigeria’s pension administration.
Ogunbote urged all state chapters and affiliate unions to mobilize fully, stressing the need for a unified display of frustration and resolve. He warned that pensioners are prepared to remain at protest sites for extended periods, particularly those unable to travel long distances.
“We must show the wound that our clothes are covering,” he said, emphasizing the hidden suffering of retirees waiting on overdue payments.
The protest threat comes despite recent steps by the government to improve pension disbursements. In September, PTAD confirmed it had started implementing updated pension increments following a partial government release of ₦20.188 billion. The adjustment raised monthly pensions with a flat ₦32,000 addition plus percentage increases of 10.66% and 12.95%.
Meanwhile, under the separate Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), the National Pension Commission (PenCom) announced in November that over 552,000 retirees now receive regular monthly stipends, and total pension assets have grown past ₦25 trillion.
However, for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, many of whom are elderly former civil servants, the coalition insists the government must honour overdue commitments before any progress can be claimed.
According to Ogunbote, the planned protest will only stop when retirees begin receiving payment alerts confirming the long-delayed allowances.
