Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari has paid over N70.99 billion pension and gratuities to retirees since assuming office in 2015, head of service Idris Tune said on Monday.

Mr. Tune told journalists in Katsina that more than N29.62 billion of the amount was paid to retirees under the state government. 

Those who retired from local government service and local education departments collected over N41.37 billion within the period.

Mr. Tune said the government has forwarded a bill to set up a contributory pension scheme to the state parliament for appropriate legislation.

“In a bid to sustain the ongoing effort of the state government in payment of retirement benefits to workers, a bill is before the Katsina State House of Assembly for a contributory pension scheme based on the Jigawa model, for consideration,” the official said. “When the bill is passed into law, both the government and workers will contribute monthly, and the workers will be receiving lump sum gratuity and pension like what is obtained in the current system.”

Contribution pension policy has been implemented in Nigeria since the current pension law was adopted at the federal level in 2004. 

Millions of Nigerians have been enrolled into the scheme, which is mostly managed by private pension fund managers across the country.