NIGERIA: Sanwo-Olu Says Lagos Records Zero Pension Arrears

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said the state currently has no pension arrears, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the welfare and dignity of retirees.

The governor made this known during a courtesy visit by the senior management team of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate to Lagos House, Marina, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gbenga Akosile.

Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State recognises the contributions of pensioners and remains committed to treating retirees with fairness and respect.

He said: “We in Lagos State understand and appreciate the lives and the time of our pensioners. We know that they have used very active parts of their lives serving the government at one point or another.”

The governor stated that reforms implemented under the contributory pension scheme had enabled the state to clear all outstanding pension liabilities.

“On the contributing pension, we are the only state today that doesn’t have any pension arrears. In the last three years, we have cleared everything that is a liability on our pension. There is no pensioner that would say we owe three years’ money,” he added.

Sanwo-Olu explained that retirees with complete documentation now begin receiving their benefits shortly after exiting service.

“What happens now is that if your documents are complete and you exit, within the first two to three months maximum, you should begin to enjoy everything that you have laboured for,” he said.

He also pledged continued collaboration with the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate to improve the welfare of pensioners residing in Lagos State.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the directorate, Tolulope Odunaiya, said the agency sought to strengthen its working relationship with the Lagos State Government, noting that many pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme reside in Lagos.

“They are men and women who served Nigeria faithfully and are now in their retirement years. What they seek is simple: fairness, dignity, and access to the benefits they deserve,” she said.

Odunaiya added that reforms approved in August 2025 under the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme were aimed at enhancing social protection and dignity for senior citi

zens across the country.