The National Pension Commission (PenCom) says it is digitising its operations to enable retirees to apply for retirement benefits and access pension services without visiting branches of their Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).
The commission’s Director of Surveillance, Abdulrahman Saleem, disclosed this in Abuja during PenCom’s 2026 interactive session with pension industry stakeholders.
Saleem, who represented the Director-General, Omolola Oloworaran, said the changes formed part of the commission’s Pension Revolution 2.0 initiative to improve services for contributors and retirees.
Retirees to Access More Pension Services Online
According to Saleem, the digital reforms would allow retirees to complete onboarding, submit applications for retirement benefits, undertake data recapture and access other pension-related services remotely.
He said PenCom had introduced a self-service portal for data recapture as part of efforts to make pension administration more accessible and convenient.
The move reflects the growing use of technology in public administration. In a separate development, NITDA announced plans to use digital tools to organise young Nigerians’ contributions into policy proposals.
Saleem urged contributors, retirees and PFAs to embrace the innovations, saying they were designed to reduce physical visits and deliver more efficient services.
As financial services increasingly move online, users also need to distinguish official platforms from fraudulent offers. The Bureau Journal’s guide to avoiding online investment scams examines practical ways to assess financial claims and protect personal funds.
PenCom Targets Earlier Funding of Accrued Rights
The director said the commission was enrolling workers approaching retirement to facilitate the payment of their accrued rights into their Retirement Savings Accounts.
According to him, placing the funds in the accounts before retirement would give them an opportunity to generate investment returns.
The timing of workers’ entitlements remains a wider welfare concern. In Kogi, a civil servant recently appealed for outstanding leave allowances, promotion benefits and affordable housing, highlighting the pressure delayed payments can place on households.
Saleem also disclosed that PenCom had accredited pension agents to market the Personal Pension Plan and encourage workers in the informal sector to participate in the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Stakeholders Call for Better Customer Experience
The interactive session was organised around the theme, “Going the Extra Mile in the Pension Industry: Adding Value Beyond the Ordinary – The Extra Mile for Customer Experience.”
SERVICOM representative Sesugh Duruba said Customer Service Week provided an opportunity to recognise frontline personnel who handle enquiries, complaints and customer feedback.
He said acknowledging their contributions could encourage better service delivery.
The National Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector, Comrade Sylva Nwaiwu, commended PenCom for sustaining its engagement with stakeholders.
Nwaiwu said the commission’s current leadership had introduced innovations that improved retirees’ benefits and payments. He expressed hope that the discussions would lead to further improvements in services for pensioners.
Retirement Services Form Part of Wider Workers’ Welfare Debate
The focus on pension administration comes alongside continuing discussions about earnings and conditions of service. The Bureau Journal has reported on organised labour’s preparations for workers’ salary negotiations.
Retirement provisions have also featured in education-sector discussions. In a World Teachers’ Day tribute, Kebbi governor’s adviser Ibrahim Abubakar Jombali highlighted extended retirement age and service provisions for teachers.
For PenCom, Saleem said the immediate objective was to make pension services more convenient for contributors and retirees through digital access, improved processes and continued engagement with the industry.
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