HELEN AYOMIDE
LAGOS, Nigeria — The National Pension Commission has recovered a cumulative ₦36.6 billion from employers that defaulted on pension contribution obligations as of July 2026, with the commission warning that it will continue to pursue outstanding payments.
PenCom Director-General, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this at the commission’s 2026 Media Conference in Lagos on Tuesday.
She said recoveries from defaulting employers had broken the previous record in the history of the Contributory Pension Scheme in the preceding year, adding that the commission had already surpassed that record in 2026.
Oloworaran stressed that pension contributions deducted from workers’ salaries must be remitted into their Retirement Savings Accounts as required by law.
“A deduction on a payslip that does not reach a Retirement Savings Account is a breach of trust and a breach of the law,” she said.
She warned employers against withholding pension contributions, emphasising that workers’ retirement savings must be protected.
According to her, the commission would continue to identify defaulting employers, recover outstanding contributions and hold those responsible accountable.
“We will find what is owed, we will recover it, and we will hold those responsible to account,” she said.
The Director-General said the recovery drive formed part of wider efforts to strengthen compliance and ensure that workers received the full benefits of the pension system.
She also called on private employers and state governments to improve compliance with pension obligations and follow the Federal Government’s example in ensuring that contributions were remitted faithfully.
Oloworaran said effective enforcement was necessary to sustain public confidence in the pension industry and guarantee that employees’ savings were available when they retired.
The commission’s latest recovery figure highlights the continuing challenge of pension contribution defaults and the importance of enforcing compliance across the public and private sectors.
