The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared that the state currently has no pension arrears, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to prioritising the welfare of retirees.
The assurance was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gbenga Akosile, following a courtesy visit by the senior management team of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD). The delegation was led by its Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya, and the meeting took place at Lagos House, Marina.
According to the statement, Sanwo-Olu emphasised that pensioners are held in high esteem by his administration and would continue to be treated with dignity, fairness and equity.
“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 said.
Highlighting reforms under the contributory pension scheme, Sanwo-Olu stated that Lagos had cleared all outstanding pension liabilities.
“On the contributory 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.
The governor further explained that retirees with complete documentation now begin receiving their benefits within two to three months after exiting service.
“For people who have served the country, the minimum we can do is to respectfully give them a space and a listening ear so that in their older years they can know that the government continues to remain appreciative,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu also pledged continued collaboration with PTAD to enhance the welfare of pensioners residing in Lagos.
Earlier, Odunaiya noted that nearly 200,000 pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme nationwide reside in Lagos and called for stronger cooperation with the state government. She added that reforms approved in August 2025 by President Bola Tinubu under the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme were aimed at improving social protection and dignity for senior citizens.
