MUSING ON THE UBA SANI PENSION CLEARANCE MODEL IN KADUNA

By Nasir Dambatta

For decades across Nigeria, retirement has too often carried a quiet dread. After giving 30 to 35 years of dedicated service — teaching children in rural classrooms, managing local health clinics, maintaining public infrastructure, and running administrative machinery — senior citizens were frequently left waiting in uncertainty for their accrued rights, death benefits, and gratuities.

In Kaduna State, that narrative has fundamentally changed. Under the administration of Governor Uba Sani, pension administration is no longer treated as a discretionary welfare scheme or a secondary obligation. It has been elevated to a core priority of governance and a sacred social contract.

The data from the Kaduna State Pension Bureau tells the story clearly. Between May 2023 and April 2026, the Kaduna State Government disbursed a total of ₦17,796,333,624.75 directly to retired public servants and their beneficiaries, reaching *8,344 pensioners* across both the Defined Benefit Scheme and the Contributory Pension Scheme.

It began in October 2023 with ₦3.197 billion paid to 1,783 pensioners, split between ₦1.498 billion for 734 state-level retirees and ₦1.698 billion for 1,049 local government retirees. By March 2024, the figure rose to ₦3.631 billion reaching 2,087 beneficiaries, with ₦1.950 billion allocated to 921 state retirees and ₦1.680 billion to 1,166 local government retirees.

The momentum continued. In April 2025, a total of ₦3.836 billion was released for 1,800 pensioners, covering ₦2.450 billion for 595 state-level retirees and ₦1.385 billion for 1,205 local government retirees. September 2025 saw another ₦2.328 billion paid across 948 pensioners, comprising ₦1.030 billion for 323 state beneficiaries and ₦1.297 billion for 625 local government beneficiaries.

Then came April 2026 with the largest single tranche yet: ₦4.289 billion to 1,637 retirees, distributing ₦2.174 billion among 630 state-level beneficiaries and ₦2.115 billion among 1,007 local government beneficiaries.

Beyond these scheduled releases, the administration also directed ₦513.78 million specifically toward medical relief for 89 pensioners facing health emergencies, including ₦331.42 million for 45 state-level beneficiaries and ₦182.35 million for 44 local government beneficiaries. For many senior citizens, this intervention meant the difference between treatment and despair.

What stands out in this model is the balance across all tiers. Of the overall ₦17.796 billion disbursed, local government retirees — often the most vulnerable in the civil service — received ₦8.359 billion across 5,096 beneficiaries. Meanwhile, state government retirees received ₦9.436 billion across 3,248 beneficiaries. This ensures that whether a worker retired as a primary school teacher in a rural local government area or as a Director in a state ministry in Kaduna Metropolis, their service is honoured with equal urgency.

Pension clearance, in this sense, is more than an economic transfer. It is a renewal of dignity. By establishing consistent, multi-billion-Naira releases every few months throughout his first three years in office, Governor Uba Sani is replacing uncertainty with reliable support, allowing civil servants to approach retirement with confidence rather than fear.

As Kaduna State continues to modernize its public service, this structured focus on senior citizens serves as a clear model of responsive leadership — demonstrating that honouring past service is essential to building a stable future.

*Dambatta is Senior Special Assistant on Print Media to the Governor of Kaduna State