IGP Olatunji Disu
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Olatunji Disu, has proposed a 200 per cent increase in gratuity and improved pension benefits for retired police officers as part of ongoing efforts to reform the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and address long-standing welfare concerns.
The proposal, which is currently before a Presidential Committee, is aimed at improving the retirement package of police personnel and ensuring that eligible officers receive pensions linked to their last salaries, alongside enhanced gratuity.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Disu said the committee was established to examine police welfare concerns and recommend lasting solutions to the pension challenges affecting retired officers.
According to him, the committee comprises representatives of the 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).
“Under the proposed arrangement, eligible officers can retire on pension benefits linked to their last salaries, alongside the enhanced gratuity.”
The IGP said the proposal is also expected to address repeated calls by serving police personnel seeking to leave the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which has remained a major source of concern within the Force.
“The initiative is aimed at resolving the outstanding pension liabilities, providing more adequate retirement benefits and creating a more efficient pension administration system.
“It also seeks to cover officers who retired before the new framework takes effect, with provisions to review their benefits in line with the revised terms, rather than limiting reform to future retirees,” he said.
Disu said President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the police pension crisis had renewed hope among retired officers who have for years complained of poor retirement benefits, delayed payments and administrative bottlenecks.
He noted that many retired officers depend on their pensions to meet family needs, healthcare expenses and other essential costs, especially at a time of rising living expenses.
The police boss further disclosed that the Federal Government had cleared the backlog of pension payments that previously left some retirees waiting for as long as two years and had also introduced pension increases.
According to him, some retired officers are now receiving nearly twice the amount they were previously paid.
“Our engagement with the presidency, PenCom and other relevant institutions is seen as important to sustain the NPF reform momentum.
“The committee is expected to recommend measures on outstanding liabilities, funding arrangements and benefit administration.
“It is also to provide a framework to resolve pension challenges and improve coordination among the institutions responsible for policy, funding and administration,” he said.
The IGP, however, stressed that the proposed 200 per cent gratuity has not yet been approved by the Federal Government.
He explained that the recommendation remains subject to the Presidential Committee’s deliberations, government approvals, funding arrangements and implementation guidelines.
Disu urged members of the public and serving officers not to regard the proposed increase as an existing entitlement until the committee concludes its work and the necessary approvals are secured.
The proposed reform is part of broader efforts by the Nigeria Police Force to improve officers’ welfare, boost morale and strengthen confidence in the country’s policing system by ensuring that retired personnel receive more sustainable retirement benefits.
