The National Pension Commission (PenCom) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at restoring public trust and accountability in Nigeria’s pension system.
The two agencies on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja to strengthen collaboration on pension compliance, recovery of unremitted contributions, and enforcement against defaulting employers.
PenCom Director-General, Omolola Oloworaran, described the MoU as a crucial step in ensuring transparency and safeguarding the retirement benefits of Nigerian workers.
“The pension system is built on trust — the confidence of millions of Nigerian workers who set aside part of their income to secure dignity in retirement,” she said. “Every Naira deducted by employers must be remitted, and every worker must be assured of a future that is secure.”
Oloworaran noted that despite the progress made under the Pension Reform Act 2014, challenges persist, including unpaid contributions under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and liabilities from non-compliant employers.
“These lapses are not just administrative oversights,” she added. “They represent direct threats to the livelihood and financial security of Nigerian workers.”
Under the new framework, PenCom will provide verified data on defaulting employers and affected employees, while ICPC will investigate, enforce, and ensure recovered funds are remitted into contributors’ Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs).
Both agencies have designated focal officers the Director of Surveillance (PenCom) and the Director of Operations (ICPC) to coordinate enforcement, data exchange, and quarterly performance reviews.
Representing ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu-Aliyu (SAN) at the ceremony, the Commission’s Secretary, Clifford Okwudiri-Oparaodu, reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to take firm action against employers who withhold pension contributions. “We’ve educated employers. Now we will enforce,” he said.
“All it takes is one call, and we’ll go after those who deny workers their pension rights. Withholding pensions is economic injustice, and that injustice must end.”
The MoU is expected to drive a more transparent, accountable, and worker-centered pension administration system in Nigeria — one that rebuilds confidence and ensures every worker’s contribution counts.
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