PenCom, ICPC Partner to Enforce Pension Compliance, Restore Trust in System

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen transparency, accountability, and integrity in Nigeria’s pension administration.

Signed at a formal ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, the agreement establishes a structured framework for collaboration between both agencies to recover unremitted pension contributions, enforce compliance among employers, and rebuild workers’ trust in the pension system.

Speaking at the event, PenCom Director General, Omolola Oloworaran, said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that every Naira deducted from employees’ salaries is properly remitted and accounted for in their Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs).

“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,” a PenCom representative said. “Every Naira deducted by employers must be remitted. Every worker must be assured of a future that is secured.”

While acknowledging PenCom’s progress under the Pension Reform Act 2014, she noted that challenges persist, including unapplied contributions under the IPPIS platform and unremitted liabilities from defaulting employers, issues the MoU directly seeks to address.

“These lapses are not just administrative oversights,” he said. “They are direct threats to the livelihood and security of Nigerian workers.”

The MoU empowers both PenCom and ICPC to jointly investigate, recover, and ensure prompt remittance of all outstanding pension liabilities.

Under the framework, PenCom will identify and submit details of non-compliant employers, provide verified data on affected employees, and confirm remittances after recovery.

ICPC, on its part, will investigate reported cases, enforce payment of liabilities, and ensure recovered funds are properly disbursed to contributors’ accounts.

Both institutions have designated focal officers, the Director of Surveillance (PenCom) and the Director of Operations (ICPC), to coordinate data sharing, enforcement, and regular review meetings.

The MoU also provides for quarterly performance reviews to assess progress and make adjustments where necessary.

Dr. Musa Adamu-Aliyu, SAN, ICPC Chairman, represented by the ICPC secretary Clifford Okwudiri-Oparaodu, at the ceremony pledged the Commission’s full support in driving enforcement, particularly in the private sector where compliance has been weak.

“We’ve educated employers. Now we will enforce,” the official said. “All it takes is a phone call, and we’ll go after those who withhold workers’ pension contributions.”

He described the deliberate withholding of workers’ pensions as economic injustice.

“Imagine serving 25 or 30 years and finding nothing to show for it because contributions were never remitted. That injustice must end,” he added.