‘I Am Alive’ verification: PTAD trains southern Nigeria’s desk officers, union reps

In preparation to fully launch the ‘I Am Alive’ confirmation self-service web portal for easy verification of Defined Benefit Scheme pensioners on its payroll, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has kick-started the last phase of its sensitisation and training exercise of South-South, South-East and South-West pension desk officers and union representatives.

A brain child of the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, the ‘I Am Alive’ confirmation solution is part of the big efforts of the Directorate to digitise DBS pension management and administration. It is also a well thought-out plan to importantly cut off corruption in the management of pensions in Nigeria.

According to PTAD, the ‘I Am Alive’ confirmation web self-service portal requires pensioners to simply carry out either facial or fingerprint confirmation.

“The pensioners will log onto the PTAD website: www.ptad.gov.ng using a smartphone or computer system, click on the ‘I Am Alive’ icon at the top of the page and follow the instructions,” the Directorate, explained.

Delivering an opening remark at a three-day sensitisation and training event in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, said, “PTAD’s efforts to meet its mandate is enhanced by the strong collaboration that exists between the respective pension unions, Pension Desk Officers and PTAD. You may recall that PTAD launched the ‘I Am Alive’ Confirmation Solution in October 2021 and commenced the pilot phase with 50,000 pensioners randomly selected from the four operational departments in the Directorate.

“At the launch, we explained the purpose and focus of the ‘I Am Alive’ Confirmation Solution and the need for PTAD to continuously update its pensioner database as a means of ascertaining verified pensioners that are alive and should continue to receive their monthly pension.

“I wish to announce that the pilot programme which was intended to test the applicability, ease of usage and user-adaptation of the solution has ended successfully, and PTAD is ready for the full rollout of the application to all our pensioners.”

Dr Ejikeme added, “You may also recall that during the stakeholder engagements we held last year and early this year, I indicated our intention to train our union executives and Pension Desk Officers on the use of the application. This is a critical step towards preparing our pensioners to be fully conversant with the use of the application.

“We believe that once the union executives and PDOs can confidently use the application, they can support our efforts to educate our pensioners and provide guidance and hand-holding where necessary for them to easily carry out their ‘I Am Alive’ confirmation.

“In June this year, we trained the union executives and Pension Desk Officers in the North-Central, North-Western, and the North-Eastern zones of the country. Now, we have invited the PDOs and union executives from the South-South, South-East and South-Western parts of the country so that we can all be on the same page as regards the ‘I Am Alive’ confirmation solution before the final rollout.”

“The training programme taking place this week is therefore to ensure that our union executives and Pension Desk Officers can use this ‘I Am Alive’ Confirmation Solution without any difficulty, that they can assist our pensioners in understanding how to use the application and that they can respond to basic enquiries and questions about the confirmation process.

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“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 and accord them due respect and dignity.

“I would like to say categorically that, over the years, PTAD has worked assiduously to change the narrative of pension administration in Nigeria, especially under the Defined Benefits Scheme, and we are proud to see that the hard work is yielding positive results.”