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PenCom DG identifies pension opportunities in informal sector

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The Director-General of the National Pension Commission, Omolola Oloworaran, has identified Nigeria’s informal sector as a major opportunity for pension expansion and domestic capital mobilisation, noting that millions of workers remain excluded from retirement savings despite their economic relevance.

In an opinion piece made available to The PUNCH, Ms Oloworaran stated that pension reform over the past two decades has delivered measurable gains but has largely benefited formal sector workers, leaving a significant coverage gap across Nigeria’s labour market.

The PUNCH reports that pension assets exceeded N27tn as of December 2025, with more than 10 million Retirement Savings Accounts opened.

Addressing the exclusion of informal sector workers and the structural risk this presents, Ms Oloworaran said, “Over 75 million Nigerians operate in the informal sector: traders, artisans, farmers, transport operators, technicians, and entrepreneurs. They power our markets and sustain our cities. Yet most will retire with nothing. No savings. No pension. No protection. This is more than a social gap. It is a structural flaw in our economic architecture. A country cannot build enduring prosperity when the majority of its workforce ages into vulnerability.”

She explained that while pension reforms have strengthened transparency, accountability, and asset growth, expanding inclusion remains critical to ensuring retirement security and broader economic stability.

On the economic opportunity and capital mobilisation potential, Oloworaran added, “It is also a missed opportunity of historic scale. The informal economy contributes significantly to national output. If even a fraction of that income were systematically saved through pensions, the result would be trillions of naira in long-term domestic capital. Capital for housing. Infrastructure, power, enterprise, and capital that build nations.”

To bridge the coverage gap, the PenCom DG highlighted the introduction of Accredited Pension Agents designed to extend pension access into markets, farms, workshops, and communities through proximity-driven engagement and technology-enabled mobilisation.

She noted that the framework aligns incentives between agents and Pension Fund Administrators while linking compensation to sustained contributions and participant retention.

PenCom recently issued the first APA licence to Awabah, with additional fintechs, cooperatives, telecommunications firms, and payment platforms expected to participate as the initiative scales.

Oloworaran said the policy supports the broader economic priorities of President Bola Tinubu, particularly efforts aimed at financial inclusion and domestic capital formation.

The Commission expects the initiative to drive deeper pension penetration across underserved segments while transforming informal earnings into structured long-term savings capable of supporting national investment priorities.

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National Pension Commission (PenCom) changes price disclosure rule

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National Pension Commission (PenCom) has directed Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) to discontinue the publication of daily unit prices for Retirement Savings Account (RSA) and Retiree Funds on their websites, replacing the requirement with a six-month disclosure of returns based on a three-year rolling average.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the commission.

Under the new guideline, PFAs must stop implementing Section 2.0 (iv) of the Commission’s March 23, 2013 circular, which required them to display daily unit prices for the last seven days.

Instead, they are to publish on their websites the last six months’ rate of return — calculated as a 36-month compounded rolling average in line with the Circular for the Calculation and Reporting of Rate of Returns by Licensed Pension Fund Operators (LPFOs).

According to the commission, the rate of return must be clearly displayed on the homepage of each PFA’s website.

For instance, the six-month disclosure covering April to September 2025 would reflect the 36-month compounded returns ending in each of those months.

This has however raised transparency concerns in the pension industry.

The 2013 circular on Minimum Information to be displayed on PFA Websites formed part of PenCom’s transparency framework for the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The latest addendum modifies that requirement but does not remove PFAs’ obligation to disclose performance information.

Industry watchers say the development may reignite debate over the balance between long-term investment reporting and real-time transparency in Nigeria’s pension industry.

All enquiries on the addendum, the Commission said, should be directed to its Surveillance Department.

An industry analyst who does not want her name mentioned said the move could reduce contributors’ access to real-time performance data.

She said: “Daily unit prices allowed RSA holders to independently track short-term movements and detect fluctuations in fund valuation.

“With only a three-year rolling average now required, contributors will no longer see recent performance in isolation”, she noted.

The analyst added that while pension funds are long-term vehicles, removing daily disclosure raises concerns about information asymmetry.

“PFAs will still compute daily valuations internally. The issue is whether contributors should be denied access to data that already exists,” the analyst said.

However, another pension expert defended the directive, noting that pensions are structured for long-term accumulation and should be assessed over extended periods.

“A 36-month rolling average smooth’s out short-term volatility and provides a more accurate reflection of sustained performance,” the expert said, warning that excessive focus on daily fluctuations could encourage reactionary fund switching.

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Dollar rises in black market on Monday, traders quote new exchange rate

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Dollar edges higher against the naira in black market trading Dollar edges higher against the naira in black market trading

The United States dollar at the parallel market increased in value on Monday, Febuary 23 with traders quote at N1,375/$ as the new selling exchange rate.

The new rate is a slight depreciation for the naira when compared to N1,343 a dollar market closed on Friday, February 20, 2026.

Abdulahhi, a forex dealer, told Legit.ng that the new exchange rate follows renew demand in the market.

“I am currently selling dollars at N1,375/$1 and buying at N1,355/$1. The pound is trading at N1,845 to sell and N1,805 to buy, while the euro is also moving steadily in the market.

“It seems this week the dollar will return to over N1,400. I have been getting a lot of request.”

The fall of the naira comes as BDC operators continue to face difficulties in accessing dollars from commercial banks.

BDCs can get dollar

The apex bank had previously issued a circular allowing licensed BDCs to access foreign exchange through authorised dealers at the prevailing market rate.

Under the directive, each BDC is permitted to purchase up to $150,000 weekly, subject to Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and due diligence checks, Punch reports.

Leadership reported that despite a policy announcement, some operators disclosed that no transactions have been completed under the new arrangement.

A BDC operator, who requested anonymity, said the directive remains largely unimplemented. According to him, the circular provides that disbursements will be made through settlement accounts, a provision that has raised operational concerns.

He questioned the feasibility of seamless, real-time transfers between domiciliary accounts across different banks, noting that such infrastructure may not yet be fully in place.

The operator added that while commercial banks appear supportive of the policy, many are still developing internal processes to align with the CBN’s directive.

He explained that BDCs are required to submit bid orders through their banks, which would then access the market on their behalf.

Naira in the official market

Meanwhile, in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), the naira closed against the US dollar on Friday, February 20 at N1,346.32/$1 from N1,341.35/$1 a day earlier.

At the GTBank FX desk, the naira weakened by N7 against the dollar to quote N1,356/$1.

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