Katsina Clears N45.8bn Pension, Death Benefit Arrears

The Katsina State Government has approved and released ₦45.8 billion for the settlement of outstanding retirement, life and death benefits owed to workers of the state, local governments and local education authorities, bringing to an end pension liabilities accumulated between 2019 and October 2025.

The final disbursement was formally flagged off on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina, by Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, who described the exercise as a historic milestone in restoring dignity and confidence in the public service.

According to the governor, the total sum of ₦45,885,776,176.45 was approved and released for payment to 14,560 beneficiaries, comprising retirees and families of workers who died in active service across the state, as well as the 34 local governments and local education authorities.

Governor Radda said the decision to clear the backlog was taken early in his administration, noting that delayed pension and death benefit payments had subjected many retirees and bereaved families to years of hardship and uncertainty.

He explained that a State and Local Government Pension Reform Committee was constituted to screen, verify and authenticate all outstanding liabilities, a process that ensured transparency and accuracy in the payments.

The payments were made in phases, covering retirees from the last quarter of 2019 through those who exited service in October 2025.

The final tranche, according to the government, includes beneficiaries from local governments and education authorities, with payments scheduled in instalments between January and April 2026, while some categories received one-off payments.

Beyond settling arrears, the governor announced that the state had enacted the New Contributory Pension Law, 2025, as part of broader reforms aimed at preventing future pension backlogs and improving pension administration.

Under the new law, the Katsina State Pension Bureau will manage the contributory pension scheme, while the old pension system will continue under the Pension Transition Board until all existing beneficiaries are fully exited. Boards for both bodies have been inaugurated, made up of individuals of proven integrity and competence.

Governor Radda noted that despite inheriting huge pension liabilities, his administration has sustained prompt payment of salaries and monthly pensions, a development he said has boosted staff morale, enhanced productivity and strengthened public trust in government.

He urged serving workers to reciprocate the government’s commitment by carrying out their duties with professionalism, patriotism and dedication to service.

The governor described the clearance of the ₦45.8bn pension backlog as a new beginning for Katsina’s public service, assuring workers and retirees that no one would henceforth leave service with unpaid entitlements or lingering uncertainty.