The National Pension Commission has raised concerns over the retirement future of civil servants in 23 states, warning that despite the existence of pension reform laws, implementation remains either inactive or only partial in many parts of the country.

Director-General of PenCom, Mrs Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the maiden edition of the bi-annual consultative session for heads of service of states yet to adopt or fully implement the Contributory Pension Scheme and the Contributory Defined Benefits Scheme.

According to her, only seven states and the Federal Capital Territory are fully implementing pension reform laws, even though 30 states and the FCT have enacted laws establishing contributory pension schemes or contributory defined benefits schemes.

Oloworaran noted that six states were yet to pass pension reform bills, while 23 states had laws that were either inactive or only partially operational.

“Out of the 36 states with pension reform laws on their books, only seven states, together with the Federal Capital Territory, are fully implementing these laws.

“That leaves 23 states whose laws are written, inactive, or only partially being implemented. Twenty-three sets of public servants or civil servants whose retirement future hangs in the balance, not because there is no law, but because the law has not been activated,” she stated.

The PenCom boss described pension reform as a constitutional and fiscal obligation rather than a policy option, citing Section 210 of the 1999 Constitution which guarantees pension rights for public servants.

She explained that the old pension structure created uncertainty and unsustainable liabilities, adding that the contributory pension scheme was introduced to ensure accountability, transparency and sustainability in pension administration.

According to her, the major challenge facing many states is no longer the enactment of pension laws but the discipline required for implementation, including regular remittance of pension contributions and adequate funding of accrued pension rights.

“Across our states, the challenge is no longer the enactment of laws. The challenge is the discipline of execution. It is the regular and timely remittance of contributions. It is the adequate and consistent funding of accrued pension rights,” she said.

Oloworaran urged heads of service to view pension reform as part of their governance legacy, stressing that successful implementation depended largely on their commitment.

She added that PenCom’s goal under her leadership was to achieve “zero pension liabilities” and ensure retirement dignity for Nigerian workers.

The PenCom DG also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu approved and released N758bn in 2025 to clear outstanding pension liabilities at the federal level, noting that there were currently no outstanding pension liabilities at the federal level.

She further revealed that the commission had launched “Pension Revolution 2.0,” a reform initiative focused on retiree welfare, expanded pension coverage, improved investment performance, technology-driven service delivery and national development financing.

Speaking at the event, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, described the consultative session as timely and necessary.

“The decision to bring together heads of service of states that are not yet fully implementing the contributory pension scheme is timely, strategic, and indeed very necessary,” she said.

Walson-Jack said pension reform was a matter of dignity, justice and trust in public institutions, stressing that workers deserved assurance of stability after retirement.

She also called for stronger collaboration among PenCom, state governments,

Ministries of finance, labour unions, pension bureaus and pension fund administrators to deepen pension reforms nationwide. (The Sun, excluding headline)

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