The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) have announced plans to sign an agreement aimed at fighting pension fraud and improving transparency in pension administration.
The announcement was made by the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, during a courtesy visit by the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Ms. Tolulope Odunaiya, and her team to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Aliyu emphasized the urgent need to address the persistent challenges faced by retirees in accessing their entitlements, attributing the difficulties to systemic corruption within the pension structure.
“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 said.
“This agreement will allow ICPC and PTAD to collaborate more closely in tackling pension-related fraud and improving service delivery.”
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The ICPC chairman also pointed out that corruption affects not only PTAD but other areas of the pension ecosystem, including the contributory pension scheme.
He urged PTAD to expand its presence nationwide by establishing offices in all 36 states, to make pension services more accessible to retirees and support the effective implementation of the agreement.
PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Ms. Odunaiya, welcomed the partnership and expressed gratitude for ICPC’s support.
She noted that PTAD has implemented significant reforms under the defined benefit scheme over the past 12 years, particularly in the verification, benefit computation, payment systems, and complaint resolution.
“Despite our progress, we still face threats from fraudsters targeting vulnerable retirees,” said Ms. Odunaiya.
“We also encounter delays in investigation and prosecution, which undermine our efforts to deter pension-related crimes.”
Both agencies agreed that the agreement will lay the groundwork for stronger inter-agency collaboration, with the shared goal of eradicating corruption and enhancing accountability in Nigeria’s pension system.
