The Ondo State Government has disbursed N2.4 billion as gratuities to pensioners who retired from the state public service in 2018 and 2019.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa announced the payment on Monday during the official flag-off ceremony held in Akure.
He stated that the move is part of efforts to ease the hardship faced by retirees due to delayed entitlements.
Aiyedatiwa said the latest N2.4 billion payout follows an earlier release of N2.2 billion in October 2025, which covered gratuities owed to retirees from 2016 and 2017.
He said the disbursement reflects his administration’s commitment to the welfare and dignity of pensioners.
He added that his government remains focused on clearing inherited pension backlogs.
Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Pension Transitional Department, Peter Akingbade, said beneficiaries would receive their full gratuity entitlements rather than partial payments.
A beneficiary, Mary Mabogunje, also commended the government for paying the gratuities in full, describing the gesture as timely support for senior citizens.
Pension backlogs have remained a long-standing issue in Nigeria, with delays in payments affecting retirees across both federal and state levels.
PenCom disclosed that a significant portion of the funds was used to address pension increases, contribution shortfalls between 2017 and 2021, and other accumulated entitlements owed to retirees.
The Commission noted that the intervention is expected to resolve long-standing delays in pension payments and ensure more timely disbursements going forward.