Benefits Payment

An RSA holder who is less than 50 years of age and has not been in any form of paid/gainful employment for a minimum period of four (4) months after formal exit from employment is qualified to apply for 25% of the balance in his/her Retirement Savings Account in line with the Regulations for the Administration of Retirement and Terminal Benefits. This category of withdrawal can be accessed once as long as the RSA holder is less than 50 years of age.

Requirements for Accessing 25% lump sum after four months of unemployment/loss of Job:

• Application letter from the RSA holder
• Birth Certificate or Age Declaration
• Exit letter from the last employer
• Confirmation letter from the last employer.
• Photocopy of a valid form of identification (i.e. Driver’s license, National ID etc.).
• 2 passport photographs of the RSA holder
• A duly completed ARM Pension Retirement Withdrawal Form

Additional Requirements

• NIMC slip/Card (NIN number)
• Appointment/Employment/Confirmation Letter

An RSA holder can retire upon attaining the age of 50 years old in the Federal Public Service or Private sector organization, and can opt for any of the following benefit options as allowed under the Act or in line with the Regulations for the Administration of Retirement and Terminal Benefits:

• En-bloc Payment – This can be accessed only where the expected monthly pension payable is less than one third of the prevailing minimum wage.
• A lump sum – the amount payable after sufficient provision have been made to procure a programmed withdrawal or an annuity that will produce an amount that should not be less than 50 percent of his/her annual salary as at the date of retirement.
• Programmed Withdrawal – a series of regular payment (monthly or quarterly) based on the retiree’s expected life span (otherwise known as guaranteed pension period).
• Annuity purchased from a licensed Life Insurance Company.

Requirements for Accessing Benefits at Voluntary or Mandatory Retirement

• Official notice of retirement/exit from last employer – original to be sighted
• Appointment Letter – original to be sighted
• Certified true copy of the retirement bond certificate (Public Sector Retiree).
• Confirmation letter from the last employer (Private Sector/Self-funding MDA retirees)
• Last pay-slip not less than three (3) months from the date of retirement (stamped and signed by employer) or any evidence of last annual remuneration. – original to be sighted
• Two passport photographs of the RSA holder.
• Retiree Indemnity Form (deposed to before a Commissioner of oath or Notary Public)
• Birth Certificate/Age Declaration (Private Sector/Self-funding MDA retirees) – original to be sighted
• Photocopy of form of identification (i.e. Driver’s license, National ID etc.)
• A duly completed ARM Retirement Withdrawal Form
• Retirement option Consent Form

Based on retirement option chosen.

• Completed Programmed Withdrawal Agreement for retirees opting to retire on Programmed Withdrawal
• Annuity Provisional Agreement from the Insurance company of choice for retirees opting for annuity.

Additional Requirements

• NIMC slip/Card (NIN number)
• Promotion letter and pay slips indicating grade level and step as at 30th June, Jan 2007, July 2010, Dec 2013, Dec 2016 (Public Sector Retirees only)
• IPPIS No. (MDAS under IPPIS)
• Transfer and acceptance of service (where applicable)

All original documents will be sighted at the time of submission of withdrawal application.

An RSA holder who is retired on medical ground i.e. due to total or permanent disability either of mind or body will qualify to access full retirement benefits not considering his/her age and can opt for any or a combination of the following benefit options as allowed under the Act or in line with the Regulations for the Administration of Retirement and Terminal Benefits:

• En-bloc Payment – where RSA balance is less than N550,000.
• A lump sum – the amount payable after sufficient provision have been made to procure a programmed withdrawal or an annuity that will produce an amount that should not be less than 50 percent of his/her annual salary as at the date of retirement.
• Programmed Withdrawal – a series of regular payment (monthly or quarterly) based on retiree’s expected life span (otherwise known as guaranteed pension period).
• Annuity purchased from a licensed Life Insurance Company.

Requirements for Accessing Benefits on Retirement for Medical Reasons

• Certified true copy of a medical certificate issued by a properly constituted Medical Board or a suitably qualified physician;
• Letter of notification of retirement issued by the employer also authenticating the medical certificate
• Last pay-slip not less than three (3) months after retirement (stamped and signed by the employer) or any evidence of last annual remuneration.
• Certified true copy of the retirement bond certificate (Public Sector Retiree).
• Confirmation letter from the last employer (Private Sector/Self-funding MDA retirees)
• A duly completed ARM Retirement Withdrawal Form
• Two passport photographs of RSA holder
• Completed Programmed Withdrawal Agreement and Retiree Indemnity Form (deposed to before a Commissioner for Oaths or a Notary Public)
• Photocopy of form of identification (i.e. Driver’s license, National ID etc.).
• Based on retirement option chosen.
• Completed Programmed Withdrawal Agreement for retirees opting to retire on Programmed Withdrawal
• Annuity Provisional Agreement from the Insurance company of choice for retirees opting for annuity.

Additional Requirements

• NIMC slip/Card (NIN number)
• Promotion letter and pay slips indicating grade level and step as at 30th June, Jan 2007, July 2010, Dec 2013, Dec 2016 (Public Sector Retirees only)
• IPPIS No. (MDAS under IPPIS)
• Transfer and acceptance of service (where applicable)

A Beneficiary under a Will or an Administrator appointed under a Letter of Administration can access the deceased RSA in line with the PRA 2014 or the Regulations for the Administration of Retirement and Terminal Benefits for:

• En-bloc payment of the RSA balance which may also include Accumulated contributions (if any) and Accrued Pension Benefits. Group Life Insurance will be paid in line with Section 8(1) of the PRA 2014.

Requirements for Accessing Benefits of a Deceased RSA Holder

• Letter of Administration or Will admitted to Probate or Court Order.
• Certificate of Death/Cause of Death (Police Report if death is by accident).
• Satisfactory means of identification of the beneficiaries, which may be any of the following: Current Driver’s License, International Traveling Passport, National Identity Card. (Name of beneficiary should be as it is written on the Letter of Administration/Will).
• Letter from a Notary Public attesting to the demise of the RSA holder and confirming the supposed NOK as the legal beneficiary eligible to access the deceased estate with the passport photograph of both the deceased and beneficiary(ies) properly affixed.
• Copy of letter of first appointment. (Public Sector only) (For Nigerian Police – Attestation Letter from Nigerian Police is the only valid letter that will suffice for Appointment Letter).
• Birth Certificate/Declaration of Age of the deceased (Public Sector only).
• Copy of stamped last pay slip including evidence of grade level and step within the year of demise, 30th June 2004, January 2007, June 2010 (Public Sector only).
• Letter of introduction from employer with deceased and NOKs’ passport affixed and stamped (stating DOB, DOFA, DOD, grade level and step as at June 2004, January 2007, June 2010, Year of Demise, Name of NOK) it must be signed by 2 signatories (public sector only).
• Letter of introduction from employer with deceased and NOKs’ passport affixed and stamped introducing the deceased, NOK(s) and accrued rights status (private sector only)
• Two (2) passport photographs of the deceased (PEN/DBA no written behind the passport)
• One (1) Passport photograph of each beneficiary (Name written behind the passport accordingly)
• Bank confirmation of estate account or joint account where they are more than one administrator named in the LOA or beneficiary named in the Will.
• Newspaper Publication/Gazette – as evidence of public notice of deceased estate.
• In addition to the above, you may be required to supply any of the following below as evidence of death:
  • Burial warrant issued by a Local Government Council
  • Burial evidence issued by an Islamic Community Head or Judge of a Sharia Court
  • Burial evidence issued by a leader of a registered church
  • Copy of obituary poster (if any)

A Missing RSA Holder (Presumed Dead)

The employer and/or Next-of-Kin shall notify the PFA of the disappearance of the RSA holder after a minimum period of 12 months. The Next-of-Kin shall provide a satisfactory means of identification which can be any of following:

• Current International passport
• National Identity Card or
• Letter of confirmation of identity from his/her bank or Notary Public.

Upon satisfactory identification of the Next-of-Kin, the PFA shall request for items (i) and (ii) and, if available, item (iii) listed below, which shall serve as adequate evidence that the RSA holder is missing:

1. A Police Report confirming that the person has been missing with effect from the reported date, the circumstance of the disappearance and that the person has not been found after more than 12 months.
2. Letter of confirmation of disappearance from the employer (if in active employment at the time of disappearance) bearing the passport photograph of the missing person.
3. Newspaper publication announcing the disappearance of the person.

Upon completion of sitting, the Board of Enquiry may declare the missing RSA holder as presumed dead. Subsequently, the Beneficiary/Next-of Kin (NOK) will be required to provide documentation for processing the deceased RSA holder’s benefits in line with documentation requirements for accessing the benefits of a deceased RSA holder.