The Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria has announced plans to stage a nationwide naked protest on Monday, 24 November, to draw attention to what they describe as years of neglect, unpaid arrears, and worsening hardship among retired public workers.
According to the retirees, the decision was reached after a meeting held at General Post Office (GPO) Marina, Lagos, on Tuesday. They also fixed a press conference for Tuesday, 11 November, to mobilise members across the country ahead of the protest.
In a statement signed by the National Chairman of the coalition, Mukaila Ogunbote, who is also the chairman of the NIPOST chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Lagos, the group said the planned naked protest is a last resort following what they called “years of silence and insensitivity” by the government.
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“We want the public and the whole world to know our predicament since 2023 and 2024. We are all feeling the same pain. We pray God touches their heart to do the needful,” the statement reads.
Pensioners’ demands
The pensioners are demanding the payment of their ₦32,000 pension increment arrears, and the ₦25,000 six months palliative promised by the government.
According to the coalition, many federal pensioners still receive as low as ₦12,000 to ₦18,000 monthly, an amount they say cannot feed an adult for one week in the current economy, let alone cover medication, rent, or transportation.
This is not the first time Nigerian pensioners are protesting this year. In August, retirees blocked entrances of the Ministry of Finance in Abuja and state offices of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), lamenting that life after retirement has become a battle for survival rather than a period of rest.
During the last protest in Lagos monitored by DevReporting, several pensioners broke down in tears as they narrated how hunger, untreated illnesses, and debts have become constant companions. Some retirees now rely on grown children who are themselves unemployed or struggling. Others said they skip medications, borrow to eat, or depend on neighbours for survival.
Some pensioners alleged that they only receive payments when protests are announced, a claim PTAD has repeatedly denied.
Although PTAD in August announced that the Federal Government had released ₦5.12 billion to settle arrears for 90,689 retirees. President Bola Tinubu has also endorsed the adoption of a proposed pension harmonisation policy, which will be incorporated into the 2026 pension budget, while health insurance coverage for all Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) pensioners was approved to ensure access to essential healthcare services.
Mr Ogunbote urged pensioners to get ready for the protest, appealing to them to be patient with the coalition. He also urged government authorities to respond before 24 November to avoid what he described as “a shameful global embarrassment.”
