The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to compel participation in the ongoing nationwide verification and enrolment exercise for treasury-funded civil servants employed before June 30, 2004, as low turnout threatens plans to clear longstanding pension obligations. The exercise, coordinated by the National Pension Commission (PenCom), is a one-off mandatory programme designed to capture accurate records of eligible workers whose pension benefits accrued under the old Defined Benefit Scheme before Nigeria switched to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in 2004. Officials said the data collection drive, which began on February 2, 2026, will end on July 31, 2026, and is critical to ensuring affected workers receive their retirement benefits without delays. The renewed push follows concerns that many eligible employees have yet to complete the process, despite repeated notices and the importance of the exercise to their future pension payments. In a circular dated April 27, 2026, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, directed all treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure immediate compliance and mobilise affected staff.

Sun