By Victor AhiumaYoung

The National Pension Commission, PenCom, informed that significant progress has been made by all critical stakeholders to clear the outstanding pension liabilities of public sector retirees.

Not only that, because of some setbacks, including delays in the release of funds for retirees’ accrued rights, they are also striving to

put in place long-term solutions that will prevent future delays in funding.

The Acting Director-General of PenCom, Ms Omolola Oloworaran, spoke at a workshop on the online enrolment application for PDOs of Treasury-funded Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, in Abuja.

This came as she informed that working on developing a new, more efficient enrollment application that will provide a user friendly and seamless experience for all stakeholders.

The Acting Director General also reiterated the Commission’s commitment to building the capacity of stakeholders, especially Pension Desk Officers, PDOs, whose roles are indispensable.

Oloworaran said the workshop marked the beginning of the final preparations for the 2024 online enrollment for prospective retirees in 2025.

She said the commission was responsible for ensuring a seamless pre-retirement verification and enrollment process for employees of Federal Government Treasury-funded MDAs.

According to her, every year, the commission embarked on this exercise to gather accurate data for determining the accrued pension rights of prospective retirees.

She explained that the data enabled the government to make the necessary budgetary provisions.

“Since 2021, we have made significant strides by automating the enrolment process,( introducing an Online Enrolment Application that allows seamless registration, verification, and enrolment of retirees.

“This system, comprising the retiree, MDA, PFA, and PenCom modules, represents the future of pension administration in Nigeria.

“As PDOs, you are the linchpin in this process, ensuring that retiree information is properly( uploaded and verified.

“This workshop aims to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively use the application and address any challenges that arise during the enrolment process.

“The commission is available to address the issues of previous enrollment exercises where gaps and challenges were observed. The workshop session will provide practical solutions and clarity on the modalities for the upcoming 2025 enrollment.

“We understand that some challenges like application downtimes, have occasionally hindered the process, particularly during last-minute rushes.

“I am pleased to inform you that we are actively working on developing a new, more efficient enrollment application that will provide a user friendly and seamless experience for all stakeholders.

“The commission is committed to improving service delivery across the pension Industry. In spite of some setbacks, including delays in the release of funds for retirees’ accrued rights, I am confident that these issues will soon be resolved.

“In fact, I am pleased to report that significant progress has been made by all critical stakeholders to clear the outstanding pension liabilities and put in place long-term solutions that will prevent future delays in funding.”