The National Pension Commission (PenCom) on Wednesday launched a sensitisation workshop in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to educate federal workers and pensioners across the South-South on ongoing reforms in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The initiative, the Commission said, aims to deepen public confidence in the pension system, enhance workers’ understanding of the CPS, and ensure retirees access their benefits promptly.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of PenCom, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, represented by Mr. Usman Musa, Director of the Contributions and Bond Redemption Department, announced that plans were underway to reintroduce gratuity payments for federal civil servants. She said the move formed part of fresh reforms aimed at improving retirees’ welfare and ensuring the sustainability of the pension system.
“This gathering is not just another meeting; it is a continuation of a national conversation that directly affects the lives, dignity, and future of millions of Nigerian workers and retirees,” Oloworaran said.
She explained that the sensitisation programme, jointly organised by PenCom and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), was designed to equip PenCom Desk Officers across the South-South region with the tools to implement CPS reforms effectively. The workshop also clarified the upcoming 2026 retiree enrolment exercise and a planned one-off enrolment for all employees of treasury-funded Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) entitled to accrued pension rights.
Highlighting PenCom’s achievements, Oloworaranrevealed that Nigeria’s pension assets had grown to over ₦25 trillion, providing regular monthly pensions to more than 552,000 retirees and lump-sum benefits to an additional 291,735 retirees. She added that monthly pension payments under the Programmed Withdrawal Scheme had risen from ₦12.15 billion to ₦14.83 billion, covering more than 241,000 retirees—approximately 80 per cent of beneficiaries.
According to her, PenCom, in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, had developed a framework to restore gratuity benefits for federal workers under the CPS, in line with Section 4(4) of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the NSIWC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, represented by Mr. Akin Abe, Head of the Compensation Department, said the Federal Government had introduced “far-reaching reforms” to ensure the prompt payment of pensions and improve efficiency in pension administration.
“Pension remains central to the effective and efficient operation of any organisation,” he noted.
In his goodwill message, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Issa-Onilu, represented by Mrs. Hannah Moffat, commended PenCom and NSIWC for the initiative. He described it as a key policy under President Bola Tinubu’s administration that would strengthen public confidence in government programmes.
He added that the NOA would integrate the workshop’s key messages into its nationwide enlightenment campaigns to help citizens better understand the Contributory Pension Scheme and the online enrolment process.
Participants were drawn from various federal MDAs across the six South-South states.
