Federal pensioners have given the Federal Government 21 days to pay an outstanding N150,000 palliative allowance, threatening to stage a peaceful protest if the money is not released by September 10, 2026.
The retirees, under the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria, made the demand in a letter dated August 21 and addressed to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
The letter, signed by the coalition’s National Chairman, Ogunbote Mukaila, and National Secretary, Gbadamosi Ganiyu, said the ultimatum began on August 21 and would expire on September 10.
The pensioners said the N150,000 represents six months of the N25,000 monthly palliative approved by the Federal Government in 2023 to cushion the effects of the removal of the petrol subsidy.
They argued that workers had received the corresponding palliative payments, while pensioners were still waiting for theirs.
According to the retirees, President Bola Tinubu approved N25,000 monthly for pensioners and N35,000 for workers as part of measures to ease the impact of rising living costs following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
“The workers had already been paid beyond the six months of this palliative we are asking for. We are expecting N150,000, which is for six months,” the pensioners said.
They appealed to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to facilitate the release of the outstanding funds, alleging that the ministry had previously been authorised to make the payment.
The retirees also asked the ministry to work with the Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate, which keeps records of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, to facilitate payment to eligible beneficiaries.
They said the prolonged delay had worsened the financial difficulties facing elderly Nigerians amid rising living costs.
The pensioners also referred to the controversy that followed the suspension of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu in January 2024 and subsequent investigations into the ministry’s handling of funds, which they said contributed to the delay.
They, however, urged the government to resolve the matter rather than allow the issue to remain unresolved.
The coalition warned that failure to pay the allowance by September 10 would trigger a “peaceful but loud protest”.
“We are old citizens and need finance to stay alive,” the pensioners said, appealing to the minister to ensure the payment is made before the deadline.
The latest ultimatum is part of a prolonged dispute over the pension palliative, which pensioners have repeatedly demanded since the Federal Government introduced the payment in 2023.
In 2025, the coalition threatened nationwide protests over the unpaid allowance and other pension arrears, while the House of Representatives also raised concerns over the delay.
The demand comes after the Federal Government announced in July 2026 that it had paid N39.63bn to 24,814 Defined Benefit Scheme pensioners as part of efforts to clear outstanding pension liabilities.
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