5,000 Police Officers to Retire in 2026 – NPF Pensions

No fewer than 5,000 officers of the Nigeria Police Force are expected to retire in 2026, the Commissioner of Police Pension at the NPF Headquarters, DCP Sani Doki Yusuf, has disclosed.

Yusuf made this known on Wednesday in Kano during the North-West Pre-Retirement Seminar organised by NPF Pensions Limited for police officers due for retirement in 2026.

He said the seminar was designed to sensitise officers on the importance of proper documentation to ensure seamless payment of retirement benefits.

“The objective is to call our colleagues and remind them to do adequate documentation of pensions so that they will not have problems. Many officers have issues with their documentation,” Yusuf said.

He explained that the pension board has continued to visit police commands across the zones to address challenges arising from discrepancies in officers’ personal records, particularly name variations and inconsistent documentation.

According to him, the organisation has paid a total of N97.5 billion as retirement benefits to 30,370 retirees since inception.

He added that death benefits amounting to N39.57 billion have also been paid to 8,847 next of kin of deceased officers, while 25,572 retirees are currently receiving monthly pensions valued at over N1.56 billion.

Also speaking, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Lydia Ameh, Director at the Nigeria Police Pensions Board and Force Insurance Officer, said the seminar was part of efforts to eliminate delays in pension payments.

Ameh said pension delays were now largely a thing of the past, noting that retirees with complete documentation could receive their benefits within three to five working days.

“It is safe to say that outstanding pensions have been cleared, except for those who have not done proper documentation,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of NPF Pensions Limited, Abdulkarim Shehu Gezawa, explained that retirement payments are guided by the Pension Reform Act 2004 as amended in 2014, and regulated by the National Pension Commission.

He said retirees are entitled to lump sum payments and can choose between programmed withdrawal or annuity options for monthly pension collection.