The Bauchi State Government has disbursed ₦5.2 billion in gratuity payments to retired civil servants who left the state and local government services between 2012 and 2014.
The disclosure was made on Sunday, October 25, 2026, by the committee overseeing the payment exercise during a press briefing at the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) Hall in the Governor’s Office, Bauchi.
Ibrahim Inuwa, Executive Secretary of the Bauchi State Contributory Pension Commission, said the payments had been made as part of an ongoing effort to settle outstanding retirement benefits owed to former public-sector workers.
According to the commission, local government retirees received ₦3.1 billion, while retired workers from the state government service received ₦2.1 billion.
The disbursement exercise has been ongoing for approximately three weeks, with officials continuing to verify beneficiaries and process payments.
The committee also announced that gratuity payments for workers who retired in 2015 were scheduled to commence on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Inuwa urged eligible retirees to obtain information about the exercise through pension desk officers in their respective local government areas and complete the necessary verification procedures.
The committee said the payment process had progressed despite some administrative challenges, including difficulties locating the files of certain retirees.
Officials explained that relevant authorities were working to trace missing records and resolve documentation problems affecting a limited number of beneficiaries.
The committee also appealed to retirees who had missed earlier payment exercises covering 2012, 2013 and 2014 to come forward for verification and processing.
It assured eligible beneficiaries that funds allocated for their payments remained available, encouraging those who had yet to receive their gratuities to complete the outstanding requirements.
A representative of organised labour commended the state government for the disbursement and expressed satisfaction with the progress reported so far.
The exercise is expected to continue with payments to additional categories of retirees as the authorities work through outstanding obligations.
Gratuities are lump-sum benefits paid to eligible workers upon retirement, while pensions generally provide recurring payments during retirement. Delays in settling retirement benefits can leave former public servants struggling to meet living expenses after years of service.
The latest disbursement represents a significant payment to retirees whose benefits relate to service completed more than a decade ago.
However, the overall scale of outstanding gratuity liabilities in Bauchi State, the total number of beneficiaries still awaiting payment and the timeline for clearing all remaining arrears were not fully established in the information provided.
The planned commencement of payments for the 2015 retirement cohort is expected to mark the next stage of the exercise.