Olatunji Disu, the Inspector-General of Police, has proposed a 200 per cent gratuity and improved pension benefits for retired police officers as part of efforts to resolve longstanding pension challenges in the Nigeria Police Force.
Disu disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja, stating that the proposal had been submitted to a Presidential Committee established to examine the concerns of police personnel and recommend sustainable reforms.
The proposed framework seeks to link eligible officers’ pensions to their final salaries while providing an enhanced gratuity. It also envisages reviewing the benefits of officers who retired before the new arrangement takes effect.
However, the proposal has not been approved. Disu said its implementation would depend on the committee’s recommendations, government approval, funding arrangements and the issuance of appropriate guidelines.
The committee includes 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 IG, the initiative is designed to address outstanding pension liabilities, improve retirement benefits and establish a more efficient pension administration system.
He said the proposed reforms would also address recurring protests by serving and retired police officers demanding withdrawal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Disu said President Bola Tinubu’s intervention had raised expectations among retired officers who have long complained about inadequate benefits, delayed payments and administrative bottlenecks.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had cleared a backlog of pension payments that previously left some retirees waiting for as long as two years.
The government has also introduced pension increments, with Disu saying some beneficiaries were now receiving nearly twice their previous payments.
He noted that timely access to retirement benefits was essential for pensioners facing rising living costs, particularly expenses related to healthcare and household needs.
The proposed framework is expected to extend beyond future retirees, with provisions to review the benefits of officers who retired before the new arrangement takes effect.
If approved, the measure could represent a significant change in how police retirement benefits are calculated and administered. Its financial implications, however, will depend on the final structure of the scheme, the number of eligible beneficiaries and the government’s funding commitments.
The proposed reform comes amid longstanding disagreements over the Contributory Pension Scheme, which police personnel have repeatedly criticised and sought to exit.
In April 2026, retired police officers protested in Abuja, urging the President to approve their withdrawal from the scheme and establish a dedicated Nigerian Police Pension Board.
The officers have argued that the existing arrangement does not adequately meet their retirement needs, strengthening calls for a pension structure tailored to the peculiar demands of police service.
However, the financial implications of moving the force to a Defined Benefits Scheme have also raised concerns.
In November 2024, the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria warned that withdrawing police personnel from the CPS could destabilise the country’s financial system. The association estimated that a shift to a Defined Benefits Scheme could require about N3.5 trillion annually to fund pensions for approximately 400,000 personnel.
That estimate highlights the scale of the funding challenge facing policymakers as they consider demands for improved retirement benefits.
In August 2025, Tinubu directed the immediate rollout of free healthcare for low-income retirees and urged PenCom to address the longstanding police pension dispute as part of broader efforts to improve pensioners’ welfare.
