Customs pays N7.61bn pension benefits to 4,237 retirees as CG Adeniyi pledges improved welfare
Maureen Aguta
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has disbursed N7.61 billion to nine Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) for the payment of retirement benefits to 4,237 former officers, in what signals renewed efforts by the Service to strengthen the welfare of its retirees.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ dialogue with retired Customs officers held on Tuesday, describing the initiative as part of the Service’s commitment to ensuring prompt and transparent pension administration.
The pension funds have already been released to the PFAs for onward credit into the individual Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) of the beneficiaries.
A breakdown of the beneficiaries showed that Access-ARM Pension Managers received funds for 1,223 retirees, Premium Pension for 2,268 beneficiaries, Leadway Pensions for 403, TrustFund Pensions for 156, FCMB Pensions for 144, Veritas Glanvills Pensions for 28, Norrenberger Pensions for 11 and Fidelity Pension Managers for four beneficiaries, bringing the total number of retirees covered to 4,237.
Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi stressed that the welfare of retired officers remains integral to the institutional strength of the Service, noting that the sacrifices and years of service rendered by Customs personnel must be adequately recognised even after retirement.
“The Nigeria Customs Service must remain strong and financially capable of meeting its obligations to both serving officers and retirees. The welfare of those who dedicated decades of their lives to the Service cannot be separated from the future of the institution,” he said.
He explained that the dialogue was convened to foster mutual understanding and address concerns raised by retirees, particularly issues arising from misinformation and unofficial channels of communication.
“I acknowledged your concerns and suggestions raised, and it is in view of this that we called for this dialogue to promote better understanding and reduce the effect of rumours and unofficial information on the relationship between the Service and its retired personnel,” Adeniyi added.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resources Development, DCG Tijjani Abe, alongside members of the Customs Management Team, who assured the retirees that their concerns would receive due consideration at both the Board and Management levels of the Service.
The retirees, in turn, commended the Comptroller-General and the Customs leadership for creating a platform for direct engagement and responding to their concerns. They appealed for the institutionalisation of such interactions as part of efforts to deepen ties between serving and retired personnel.
The latest pension disbursement comes against the backdrop of ongoing reforms by the Federal Government aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s pension framework. The government is currently reviewing statutory provisions governing pensions, including Section 15(4) of the Pension Reform Act 2014, in line with Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), to enhance the welfare and financial security of retirees.
For thousands of retired Customs officers, the N7.61 billion disbursement represents more than a pension payment—it underscores a growing commitment by the Service to honouring those who served at the nation’s borders and contributed to its economic security.