The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has successfully recovered N4.57 billion from employers who failed to remit their workers’ pension contributions. This recovery effort took place over five quarters, from the first quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025.
According to Mr. Oguche Agudah, the CEO of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), the recovered amount includes N2.12 billion in outstanding contributions and an additional N2.45 billion in penalties. The funds were recovered from 138 employers who broke the law by not remitting pension contributions as required.
Shifting to Proactive Enforcement
Agudah stated that PenCom is moving beyond simply reacting to defaults. Its new strategy is to be more proactive by tightening real-time monitoring of remittances, increasing penalties for repeat offenders, and educating employers to prevent future issues.
“The goal is not just big recovery headlines,” Agudah explained. “It is fewer defaults, faster remittances, and a stronger, more predictable Contributory Pension Scheme.”
He reminded all employers with three or more staff that they are legally required to remit pension contributions. He also encouraged workers to use PenCom’s whistleblowing channels to report any non-compliant employers.
Recovery Breakdown
The highest recovery amount was in the first quarter of 2024, but PenCom’s efforts in the first quarter of 2025 were notable. In that period alone, the Commission recovered N972.12 million in contributions and N381.88 million in penalties from just 19 employers. This shows that PenCom is now focusing on larger, more significant cases.
