In a bid to ensure the continued receipt of benefits under the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS), the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) is encouraging pensioners to participate in the ongoing ‘I Am Alive’ online confirmation exercise. Dr. Chioma Ejikeme, the executive secretary of PTAD, emphasized this call during the North-west Stakeholder’s Engagement Forum held in Kaduna.
The PTAD has successfully conducted a pilot stage of the confirmation exercise, testing its application on 50,000 randomly selected pensioners from four operational departments across the six geopolitical zones. Building on the positive outcomes of the pilot phase, PTAD has officially launched the solution for the use of all pensioners on April 14, 2023.
To ensure a smooth and efficient process, as well as to manage the flow of traffic on the website, PTAD has implemented a staggered availability of the Confirmation Solution according to departments. The schedule is as follows: Police Pensioners can confirm their status from April 14, 2023, to October 13, 2023; Customs, Immigration, Prisons Pensioners from June 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023; Civil Service Pensioners from July 1, 2023, to January 31, 2023; and Parastatals Pensioners from August 1, 2023, to February 28, 2023. Each category will have a six-month window to complete the confirmation process.
Dr. Ejikeme highlighted the progress made by PTAD since the last Stakeholders Forum held in Kano in November 2021. The organization has successfully addressed outstanding liabilities, including the liquidation of 126 months of payments owed to former workers of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation. Additionally, PTAD has completed the payment of 219 months of inherited liabilities to ex-workers of New Nigeria Newspaper (NNN) Limited, 100 months of inherited liabilities to ex-workers of NICON Insurance, and 96 months of inherited liabilities to ex-workers of Delta Steel Company (DSC).
By urging pensioners to participate in the ‘I Am Alive’ online confirmation exercise, PTAD aims to ensure accurate and up-to-date information regarding beneficiaries of the Defined Benefits Scheme, thus guaranteeing the seamless provision of pension benefits.
