October 2025

Nigeria. ‘Financial literacy key to unlocking pension market’

Nigeria’s pension industry stakeholders have stressed the need for a renewed national focus on financial literacy as a major catalyst for deepening pension participation and unlocking the economic potential of the growing micro-pension market. Parthian Pensions Limited, one of the newly-licensed pension fund administrators (PFAs), said an improved understanding of the contributory pension system (CPS) is crucial to bringing millions of informal sector workers into the formal savings net and boosting long-term funds available for investment in the economy. Speaking at...

70m uninsured informal workers pose risk to Nigeria’s economy – Experts

Nigeria is forfeiting a vast pool of long-term savings and investment capital because most of its estimated 70 million informal sector workers are excluded from pension and insurance schemes, financial experts have warned. Speaking at an industry event involving insurance and pension operators in Lagos, the Managing Director of Arthur Stevens Asset Management Limited, Olatunde Amolegbe, stated that failing to capture the informal economy poses a significant economic risk to the country’s financial stability and growth ambitions. Amolegbe said the insurance...

September 2025

Strengthening Nigeria’s pension sector: Rethinking the new capital requirements for PFAs and PFCs

The National Pension Commission’s (PENCOM) newly revised capital requirements for Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) & Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs), while aimed at strengthening the financial resilience of operators, risk creating unintended consequences that could undermine investor confidence, restrict innovation, and distort the competitive landscape of Nigeria’s pension sector. This public commentary advocates for a more balanced and globally aligned approach that preserves the safety of pension assets while enabling growth, competition, and sustainable operations. 1. Understanding the Nature of Pension...

Nigeria. Micro pension surges nine-fold as tech drives adoption

The Micro Pension Plan (MPP), otherwise known as the Personal Pension Plan (PPP), has grown nine-fold in four years, driven by technology and increased awareness. The plan grew from N168.63 million in 2021 to N1.46 billion in 2025, according to data from the National Pension Commission (PenCom), reflecting that Nigerians are taking steps to secure their future. This trend has also been seen in the voluntary contributions segment under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), where participation grew steadily from...

US. These Trump policies put your retirement at risk. Here’s how to plan for the worst.

Essential strategies to protect your retirement amid increasing uncertainty As the old saying goes: Plan for the worst and hope for the best. If ever you need an incentive to plan for the worst, consider reading about the ways in which the Trump administration's policies may be worsening Americans' retirement prospects and increasing uncertainty in the latest paper - "Projecting New Policy Proposals' Effects on Americans' Retirement Prospects" - written by Lauren Valastro, an assistant professor of law at Texas Tech...

Nigeria. PenCom Redesigns Pension Plan, Targets Informal Sector

The National Pension Commission has announced new measures to expand pension coverage in Nigeria’s vast informal sector by leveraging super agents and financial technology platforms to simplify onboarding into the country’s rebranded Personal Pension Plan. The initiative was disclosed at the recent 2025 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors, themed “Strengthening Insurance and Pension Frameworks for Better Economy.” Since the launch of the Micro Pension Plan in 2019, uptake has remained modest. With around 200,000 contributors...

Nigeria. PenCom moves to improve welfare of police retirees, assures payment of arrears

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has reassured retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force of the federal government’s commitment to addressing their pension concerns and improving their living conditions. The Federal Commissioner, Inspectorate Department of PenCom, Chief Sam Chigozie Uwandu, gave the assurance during his maiden official visit to police retirees in Enugu State. Chief Uwandu disclosed that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, plans are underway to clear all outstanding arrears owed to police retirees. He further revealed that the federal government...

August 2025

Nigeria’s wage and pension crisis

By Shu’aibu Usman Leman   Earlier this month, the United States government released a sobering assessment of Nigeria’s human rights record in its 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Among the stark revelations was the shamefully low national minimum wage of ₦70,000—a figure described as “woefully inadequate” amid rising inflation, a weakened naira, and an ever-worsening cost of living. At just $47.90 per month by current exchange rates, this wage is not merely insufficient—it is an affront to human dignity. In...

Nigeria’s president orders speedy rollout of free healthcare for low-income retirees

President Bola Tinubu has directed the expedited rollout of a free healthcare initiative for low-income retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), describing the measure as essential to ensuring dignity and social protection in retirement. The President also ordered the prompt implementation of long-overdue pension increases and the establishment of a minimum pension guarantee to serve as a safety net for the most vulnerable pensioners within the CPS. The directives followed a briefing from the Director General of the National Pension...

July 2025

Nigeria. IG orders security as retired cops plan pension protests

Retired police officers have reaffirmed their commitment to embark on a nationwide protest today, July 21, 2025, insisting that their action is devoid of any political agenda and solely focused on pressing for their exit from the pension scheme. The development comes as the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, pledged to provide security coverage for the retirees and ensure the protest remains peaceful. He warned against any attempts by political actors or miscreants to hijack the demonstration. Speaking ahead of what they...