The Senate Establishment Committee currently on oversight exercise at the National Pension Commission heard on Wednesday that the accumulated pension assets in the country is currently worth N12.3 trillion naira.
This was disclosed by the Director-General of the Commission, Aisha Dahiru, in her welcome address while receiving the Senate delegation to the office.
She used the opportunity to blow the Commission’s trumpet while also listing the challenges being encountered by the Commission.
“PenCom has, within the 16 years of the pension reform, been able to positively transform the pension sector in Nigeria. Our scorecard includes many positive feats, like the licensing of 22 PFAs, 7 CPFAs, 4 PFCs and many Approved Existing Pension Schemes in the private sector,” she said.
“RSA registration has reached 9.27 million as at January 2021 and the value of accumulated pension assets has also reached N12.3 trillion as at January 2021. The fund is currently invested in varied but quality financial instruments, all tailored towards the development of the Nigerian economy. Furthermore, payment of pensions under the CPS is now seamless, prompt and consistent.
“In the recent years, the Commission has introduced the Micro Pension Plan to enable informal sector workers participate in the CPS and also continued to empower the RSA holders by broadening their choices through Multifund Structure of pension fund investment and the opening of the RSA Transfer window. The Commission would continue to innovate in order to consolidate the gains of the pension reform in Nigeria.
“As you are aware, PenCom is a self-funded agency, run basically with Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), with little subvention from the Treasury.
“PenCom is currently housed at this Head Office building, which is owned by the Commission. There are also six functional zonal offices of the Commission at the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
Talking about the Commission’s challenges she said, “However, it is sad to report that there are, today, a large number of Federal Government employees who retired from March 2020 to March 2021 under the CPS that are yet to receive their pensions due to non-payment of their Accrued Pension Rights”.
According to her, the challenge, which started in 2014, was essentially triggered by the appropriation of insufficient amounts for payment of Accrued Pension Rights of FGN retirees and further aggravated by late or non-release of full appropriated amounts.
Aisha Dahiru also raised the issue of FGN’s non-compliance with the new minimum statutory rate of pension contribution of 18% since 2014; non-payment of approved 15% and 33% pension increases to pensioners under the CPS; non-payment of shortfall for payment of full retirement benefits of retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries; and non-payment of FGN Pension Protection Levy as well as the pending amendments to the Pension Reform Act 2014.
She also stressed the need to subject the proposed amendments to experts and stakeholders consideration and inputs before the appropriate legislative action.
The DG expressed gratitude to the Committee for its support over the years saying the Commission looks forward to the continuation of the support and cordiality.