Directorate Launches Digital Solution To Verify Pensioners

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD has launched a digital verification programme to verify the status of government pensioners under the directorate.

Unveiling the ‘I’m Alive’ Confirmation Solution in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital, the directorate said that the technology solution was an online platform designed to enable pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme to easily confirm they are still alive from the comfort of their homes or neighbourhood, using a smartphone or a computer system.

The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, said that the technology would reduce the cost and stress of the old field verification method.

Dr Chioma says, “Continuing with periodic field verifications to ascertain the aliveness of our pensioners is not only expensive both for the pensioners and government but is also a stressful exercise for our senior citizens. Looking for a solution that would eliminate field verifications became imperative and gave birth to the I Am Alive Confirmation Solution.

“We wish to use this opportunity to assure our esteemed pensioners that the ‘I Am Alive’ Confirmation Solution has been designed with their utmost welfare in mind, leveraging on accuracy, reliability, user-friendliness and convenience. PTAD has over the years promised that the era of bringing out our aged pensioners for field verification is over, and we are standing by this promise.”

The “I AM ALIVE” Confirmation Solution which was inaugurated in 2021, was designed to “fish out dead and ghost pensioners.” who are already on PTAD’s payroll.

With over 220,000 pensioners on its payroll, Mrs Ejikeme said each directorate has been given six months for the exercise.

She stated that any pensioner that misses the verification would be “assumed dead except proven otherwise.”

“To ensure an efficient and effective delivery, the availability of the Confirmation program has been staggered according to departments as follows: Police Pensioneers 14th April to 13th October; Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pensioners 1st June to 31st December 2023; 1st July to 31st January 202 and Parastatals Pensioners from 1st August to 31st February 2024,” she added.

Confidence Okwuchi