The Northern Forum of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) has raised concerns that only four of the 19 northern states are paying the ₦32,000 minimum monthly pension approved by the federal government.
Speaking at the forum’s zonal meeting in Kaduna, NUP Chairman Mohammed Sali described the situation as unfair to retirees who spent decades serving the country. He noted that some states still pay as little as ₦3,000 to ₦5,000.
Sali said the union would continue to engage state governments through dialogue rather than confrontation. He revealed that Adamawa State was close to implementation, with a committee’s work already completed and awaiting the governor’s approval.
The forum’s secretary, Alhassan Balarabe Musa, criticised the wide gap between politicians’ benefits and the meagre pensions of career civil servants. He urged Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna to raise the state’s ₦30,000 payment to meet the ₦32,000 standard.
The NUP vowed to keep pressing for full compliance across the region.
