In a renewed effort to combat corruption in Nigeria’s pension system, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

 

The planned agreement aims to strengthen the fight against fraud in pension administration and foster greater transparency and accountability.

 

Announcing the development on Thursday, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, welcomed the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Ms. Tolulope Abiodun Odunaiya, and her team during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

 

Aliyu expressed deep concern over the challenges retirees face in accessing their entitlements, attributing many of the issues to corrupt practices within the system.

 

“The issue of pensions is very close to my heart, particularly because of the hardship our senior citizens endure just to receive their entitlements,” Aliyu stated. He emphasized that the MoU would provide a strong foundation for both agencies to work together in addressing fraud and ensuring more efficient pension management.

 

He also noted that corruption in the sector is not limited to PTAD, but extends to other schemes such as the Contributory Pension Scheme. To improve service delivery, he urged PTAD to establish offices across all 36 states, allowing pensioners nationwide better access to services and ensuring smoother implementation of the MoU.

 

In her remarks, PTAD Executive Secretary Odunaiya thanked the ICPC for its support and reaffirmed the Directorate’s commitment to reforming the pension system. She highlighted PTAD’s achievements over the past 12 years under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), including improvements in verification, benefit computation, payment processes, and complaints resolution.

 

Despite the progress, she said fraud remains a major challenge, with scammers targeting vulnerable pensioners. She also cited delays in investigations and prosecutions as obstacles in the fight against pension-related crimes.

 

Both ICPC and PTAD agreed that the upcoming MoU will serve as a formal framework for collaboration, with the ultimate goal of eradicating corruption and ensuring a more accountable pension administration in Nigeria.