Kaduna to pay N30,000 pension to 11,000 beneficiaries from March

The Kaduna State Government will this month (March) begin paying N30,000 as the new minimum pension for its retirees who are on the old Defined Benefits Pension scheme.

A statement issued from Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Thursday emphasized that this decision will upgrade 11,511 pensioners who were previously earning less than N30,000 as monthly pension.

The statement which was signed by Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, special adviser on Media and Communication on Thursday.

According to the statement, all government agencies have received a circular from the office of the Head of Service to effect the new pension structure.

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“Following the decision of the Kaduna State Executive Council to increase the minimum pension to N30,000 monthly, the Head of Service, Bariatu Y. Mohammed has issued the necessary circular to government agencies to implement it from March 2020,” Adekeye stated.

According to the special adviser, the circular directs “the agencies to comply and implement the directive of the State Executive Council which recently reviewed upward the minimum pension in the state.”

Adekeye quoted from the circular which was issued on March 11, saying that the increase is part of the State Government’s “continuous efforts to ensure welfare for both serving and retired public servants.”

The circular noted that the decision of the state executive council “would no doubt improve the living standard of this category of senior citizens.”

The statement recalled that some of the 11,511 pensioners who will benefit from the new minimum pension were receiving pensions as low as N3,000 before the increase.

Adekeye further said the decision aligns the minimum pension payable to retirees on the old Defined Benefits Scheme with the new national minimum wage.