The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has proposed a 200% gratuity for retired officers as part of a broader effort to resolve longstanding pension problems in the Nigeria Police Force, though the proposal has yet to receive government approval.
Disu made the proposal to a presidential committee examining the concerns of police personnel and recommending sustainable solutions to the pension crisis.
The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Pension Commission.
Under the proposed arrangement, eligible officers could retire with pension benefits linked to their final salaries, in addition to the enhanced gratuity.
The package is also intended to address recurring protests by serving officers seeking to leave the Contributory Pension Scheme, a contentious issue within the force.
The initiative seeks to settle outstanding pension liabilities, improve retirement benefits and create a more efficient pension-administration system.
It also proposes extending the reforms to officers who retired before any new framework takes effect, with provisions to review their benefits under the revised terms.
President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the police pension crisis has raised expectations among retired officers, who have long complained about inadequate benefits, delayed payments and administrative bottlenecks.
The Federal Government has reportedly cleared outstanding pension-payment backlogs that previously left some retirees waiting for as long as two years.
It has also introduced pension increases, with some beneficiaries receiving nearly double their previous payments.
Disu’s engagement with the Presidency, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and other relevant institutions is expected to sustain efforts to resolve funding shortfalls, outstanding liabilities and benefit-administration challenges.
The proposed 200% gratuity remains subject to the committee’s recommendations, government approval, funding arrangements and implementation guidelines.
The final decision will determine the eligibility criteria and whether the proposed changes will apply to serving officers approaching retirement as well as existing pensioners.
