Capacity Building: PTAD Engages Media, Commends Collaboration.

Oru Leonard 

Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Tolulope Odunaiya has commented the media for keeping faith with ethical journalism. Odunaiya who was represented at the occasion by Kabiru Yusuf, Director, Corporate Services Department stated this during a one day capacity building for pension correspondents and online editors at PTAD’s headquarters in Abuja, adding that,”the sanity her agency has restored in the management of the penation system has been achieved through effective collaboration with the media.”

The ES expressed appreciation for the robust support and collaboration PTAD has had with the media over the years noting that it could not have been possible without the positive reportage the pension correspondents and online Editors have given the agency.

“The importance of the media to the operations of PTAD cannot be overemphasised, which is why we deemed it necessary to organise this training.

“Over the years, PTAD has worked assiduously to change the narrative of pension payment in Nigeria, especially under the Defined Benefits Scheme, and we are proud to see that the hard work has yielded and has continued to yield positive results”, she said.

She stated that in the course of the presentations at the workshop, participants would be adequately informed about the Act establishing PTAD, what the agency’s mandate is, the different operational departments in the Directorate, as well as how it carries out its responsibilities.

“It is very important, as reporters, to understand where we are coming from, where we are, where we are headed, and what exactly we do, so you can report accurately. Pension management in Nigeria is a very sensitive issue, and PTAD has been at the forefront since inception, ensuring that the welfare of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme remains a priority.

“As our partner in progress, we rely on the media, especially our reporters to work with us to ensure that this mandate is fulfilled. It is our intention to foster the already-robust relationship between PTAD and the Media, correct all misrepresentations and inform them of next steps we intend to take as we work hard to ensure that the welfare of our pensioners is sustained”, she said.

Six papers were presented at the workshop on different aspects of the operations of the agency. Mr. Yusuf kicked off the training with his presentation titled, “Understanding the Defined Benefit Scheme and PTAD’s Oversight Role(Mandate, Structure and Objectives). This was followed by Mr. Balewa Ndayako, Director, Tertiary Education and Health Department, who presented a paper titled, “DBS and CPS Explained, PTAD’s Pension Departments and their Roles”.

Other papers included “Verification Exercise, Complaints Resolution and PTAD’s Service Delivery Processes”, which was presented by Dr. Ihuoma Ikemba-Efughi, Deputy Director, Pensioner Support Services Department, “Payment of Pension Arrears and Gratuities: Facts versus Public Perceptions-Understanding Pension Computation and Payments under DBS”, delivered by Jibrin Idris, Deputy Director, Defunct and Transferred Agencies Department; “The Role of ICT in Pension Administration-the Success Story of “I Am Alive Confirmation Platform”, delivered by Adamu Ismail, Assist Director, IT Department, and “Collaborating with PTAD: Communication Channels, Information Requests, and Fact-checking Pensioner Claims to Avoid Disinformation”, presented by Olugbenga Ajayi, Head, Corporate Communications.