PTAD Targets December For Nationwide Rollout Of Digital Verification Of Pensioners

Effort to migrate verification of pensioners under the defined benefit scheme to web-based confirmation has gained traction with the Executive secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, Dr Chioma Ejikeme now setting end of 2022 target for nationwide rollout of “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution.

PTAD commenced the pilot phase of the confirmation solution in October 2021 with 50,000 pensioners randomly selected from the four operational departments in the directorate, a phase Dr Ejikeme said has been successful completed, with observed hiccups fixed. The “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution is introduced to enable PTAD to continuously update its pensioners database through a digital process as a means of ascertaining verified pensioners that are alive and should continue to receive their monthly pension.

“We’re looking at before the end of the year 2022. That’s our target. Our target is to start before the end of the year 2022. We’ll see how that goes,” the PTAD executive secretary told journalists yesterday when ask when the digital platform would be deployed for nationwide use. She made the remarks at a ‘training the trainer’ session for pension desk officers and union executives in Abuja yesterday.

PTAD Moves To End Expensive Field Verification Of Pensioners

She told the gathering of pension desk officers and union executives from the South East zone that “I AM ALIVE” is an innovation using technology that will henceforth allow them to engage in verification exercises at the comfort of their homes.  They don’t have to travel anywhere. They just do the confirmation with laptop computer system or their phones,” Ejikeme stated.

PTAD is making efforts to create both appropriate and adequate awareness in order to get the project to be successful.  “That is appropriate in the sense that we have to make sure that we are training some people who are going to help these people. So, what we’re doing now is to train the focal persons who would help us within the community to help these pensioners confirm their aliveness in the event that they can do it for themselves,” the PTAD head said in a chart with journalists yesterday.

The “I AM ALIVE” verification exercise if for pensioners already verified and are on the database of PTAD. Those not earlier captured on the manual verification process are not eligible to be on te new platform because according to PTAD, they are not in its database. PTAD has over 250,000 pensioners in its database for monthly payment of pensions.

She said the “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution “is the crucial step that we have to make in our journey to ensuring that all our, esteemed pensioners, senior citizens who have served this country, can enjoy their hard-earned pensions without the hardships of the past. The tedious, challenging and expensive field verification exercises of the past must end.

“Pensioners must be able to confirm their aliveness from the comfort of their homes, or at the very least, within close proximity to their residences. They should also be able to resolve their complaints without unnecessary stress.

“This project and all others we have implemented in the past, have been designed to make life easier for our pensioners, accord them due respect and dignity. I therefore urge you to please sit back, be attentive and fully participate in this training program.”

Dr Ejikeme said when the “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution is fully deployed, the pensioners would be verified in batches to avoid congestion. She said the pensioners could be categorised into various groups for confirmation.