The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has proposed a 200 per cent gratuity and improved pension benefits for retired police officers as part of ongoing reforms to address longstanding retirement benefit challenges in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Disu disclosed this to journalists on Sunday in Abuja, saying the proposal was before a presidential committee established to examine concerns over police pensions and recommend sustainable solutions.
He said the proposed package would provide eligible officers with pension benefits linked to their last salaries, alongside an enhanced gratuity.
The committee comprises representatives of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Pension Commission (PenCom).
According to the IGP, the proposal is intended to address outstanding pension liabilities, improve retirement benefits and establish a more efficient pension administration system.
He said the proposed reforms would also cover officers who retired before the new framework takes effect, with provisions to review their benefits in line with any revised terms.
Disu said the initiative was also expected to address recurring protests by serving police officers seeking to exit the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
He added that President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the police pension crisis had raised expectations among retired officers who had complained about inadequate benefits, delayed payments and administrative bottlenecks.
The IGP said the Federal Government had cleared a backlog of pension payments that previously left some retirees waiting for up to two years and introduced pension increases.
He said some beneficiaries were now receiving almost twice their previous payments.
Disu noted that timely access to retirement benefits was essential for pensioners to meet household expenses and medical bills amid rising living costs.
“Our engagement with the presidency, PenCom and other relevant institutions is seen as important to sustain the NPF reform momentum,” he said.
He said the committee was expected to recommend measures addressing outstanding liabilities, funding arrangements and benefit administration, while improving coordination among the institutions responsible for pension policy and implementation.
However, Disu stressed that the proposed 200 per cent gratuity and revised pension arrangement had not been approved.
He said implementation would depend on the committee’s deliberations, relevant government approvals, funding arrangements and the issuance of implementation guidelines.
The final recommendations will determine whether the proposed benefits are adopted.
