By Emmanuel Enitan,Lagos
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has extended the deadline for the mandatory verification and enrolment of eligible Federal Government workers to December 31, 2026, after about 119,000 employees failed to complete the process as of July.
The commission, in a statement issued yesterday, said only 31,099 employees had successfully completed the enrolment exercise out of an estimated 150,000 active Federal Government workers entitled to accrued pension rights.
The development means that about 118,901 eligible workers, representing 79.3 per cent of the estimated population, had yet to complete the process as of July, prompting the commission to grant a five-month extension to the original July 31 deadline.
PenCom said Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) had uploaded 62,320 records of active employees and retirees to its platform, but only about half of those captured had completed the enrolment process.
“Low participation in the exercise has necessitated the timeline extension. As at July 2026, MDAs had uploaded 62,320 records of active employees and retirees, while only 31,099 employees had successfully completed the enrolment process,” the commission said.
According to the regulator, the figures remained significantly below the estimated 150,000 active Federal Government employees entitled to accrued pension rights.
The exercise, which commenced in February, is targeted at active employees of treasury-funded Federal Government MDAs who were already in service as of June 30, 2004, before the country transitioned from the Defined Benefit Scheme to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Under Section 15(1) of the Pension Reform Act 2014, employees who moved from the old pension arrangement to the CPS are entitled to accrued pension rights representing benefits earned before the transition.
PenCom explained that the accrued rights comprise pension and gratuity benefits earned from an employee’s first appointment up to June 30, 2004, with the entitlement determined through actuarial valuation.
The commission said the verification exercise was critical to determining the Federal Government’s outstanding pension liabilities and ensuring adequate budgetary provisions for their settlement.
“This is essential for determining the Federal Government’s outstanding pension liabilities and making adequate budgetary provisions for their settlement,” PenCom said.
The exercise is being conducted digitally through the commission’s Contributions and Bond Redemption Application, COBRA, which is designed to capture, validate and process information required to determine workers’ accrued pension entitlements.
Under the process, MDAs are required to upload details of eligible employees on the platform, after which affected workers are expected to visit their Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), with the necessary documents, to complete their enrolment.
Pension Desk Officers trained by PenCom are also expected to coordinate the exercise within their respective organisations and assist eligible workers through the process.
The commission said early completion of the exercise would enable accrued pension rights to be determined and allow the Federal Government to make the required funding arrangements before affected workers retire.
Once funded, the accrued rights would be credited to the workers’ Retirement Savings Accounts, where the funds could earn investment returns and potentially increase their eventual retirement benefits.
PenCom therefore urged eligible employees who had not commenced the process, as well as those who started but failed to complete it, to use the additional five months to conclude their enrolment.
It also called on MDAs, PFAs and Pension Desk Officers to intensify mobilisation and ensure that eligible employees are captured before the new deadline.
“While the extension to 31 December 2026 provides additional time, PenCom has urged eligible employees and their respective MDAs not to delay completion of the process,” the commission stated.
The latest extension comes as the Federal Government continues to implement reforms aimed at improving retirement benefits and strengthening pension administration for public-sector workers.
In February, PenCom launched its Data Recapture Self-Service Platform, PENCAP, allowing Retirement Savings Account holders to complete mandatory pension data recapture remotely.
The commission said the platform was designed to address challenges associated with incomplete pension records, delays in accessing benefits and congestion at PFA offices, by allowing contributors to update their biodata and biometric information online.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has also commenced implementation of an Exit Benefit Scheme designed to provide additional financial benefits to eligible federal employees upon retirement, alongside pension benefits under the CPS.
Under the scheme, about N1.1 billion was reportedly paid as additional exit benefits to 175 retirees of treasury-funded MDAs who left the Federal Public Service between January 1 and August 31, 2026.
The Exit Benefit Scheme became effective on January 1, 2026, following approval by the Federal Executive Council.
With the accrued-rights verification deadline now extended to December 31, PenCom is expected to rely on increased participation by workers and their MDAs to establish a more complete picture of the Federal Government’s outstanding pre-CPS pension obligations and facilitate appropriate funding.
