By Correspondent in Abuja.
The President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Justice Benedict Kanyip, has called for a comprehensive reassessment of political pensions and severance packages, describing them as inconsistent with the principles of social justice and public service.
Speaking at a sensitisation workshop on the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for judges of the NICN, organised by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) in Abuja, on Wednesday in Abuja,Justice Kanyip said it was morally wrong for elected public officers and political appointees to receive lifetime pensions and gratuities after serving for only a few years in office.
“It is not morally right to pay an elected public officer or political appointee pension and gratuity for holding such an office for just three to eight years.
“Any law that provides for such payments lacks moral justification, promotes social injustice, and cannot be democratic,”Kanyip declared.
He argued that the disparity between the benefits enjoyed by political office holders and the struggles of many Nigerian workers to secure their pensions undermines public confidence in the nation’s retirement system.
Justice Kanyip noted that the Nigerian pension landscape must be strengthened to ensure fairness, efficiency, and inclusiveness, particularly for workers in the informal sector who remain largely uncovered by formal pension arrangements.
He lamented that only about 10 per cent of the country’s workforce is currently enrolled in any formal pension scheme, attributing the low coverage to non-remittance of contributions, weak enforcement, and delays in benefit payments.
“Labour rights do not end with employment. They extend to life after service, including the right to a fair and secure pension. The current imbalance, where a few enjoy lifetime pensions and millions struggle to receive theirs, is unjust and must be corrected,”he said.
Justice Kanyip urged the National Pension Commission to tighten compliance mechanisms, impose stiffer sanctions on defaulting employers, and leverage digital technology to enhance transparency and payment efficiency.
“The CPS remains a vital framework for protecting Nigerian workers’ post-employment rights, but it requires constant adaptation to remain fair and effective,” he added.
In her remarks earlier, the Director-General of PenCom, Mrs. Omolola Oloworaran, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the judiciary to advance the pension reform agenda and ensure effective administration of retirement benefits.
Oloworaran, represented by the Acting Commissioner, Administration, Mr. Bello Malabu, said the workshop provided an opportunity to deepen understanding and address concerns between the judiciary and the pension industry.
She said that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the Federal Government now pays retirement benefits of Treasury-funded Ministries, Departments Agencies (MDAs) promptly.
The DG added that PenCom had initiated discussions with the National Judicial Council (NJC) to resolve issues relating to accrued benefits of some judges who transitioned into the CPS before their elevation to the Bench.
The PenCom boss also unveiled the Personal Pension Plan (PPP), a rebranded voluntary pension product designed to offer greater flexibility and inclusiveness for professionals, the self-employed, and individuals in non-traditional employment.
“The PPP complements the mandatory CPS by providing flexibility to those not covered under the mandatory scheme. We encourage all Justices and Judges of Superior Courts who are exempted from the CPS to consider enrolling in the PPP to enhance their retirement security and that of their dependents,” she said.
Oloworaran further launched the first volume of the Pension Law Report, a compendium of landmark judgments on pension matters delivered by the NICN and other courts, and commended Justice Kanyip for his support and commitment to advancing sound pension jurisprudence in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the President of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Mr. Godson Ukpevo, described the workshop as a platform for reflection and evaluation of the Pension Reform Act (PRA), noting that Nigeria’s pension industry had become one of the country’s most successful public policy innovations.
Ukpevo said the CPS had restored confidence in retirement planning, expanded contributors’ base, and grown pension assets to over ₦25 trillion, creating a substantial pool of long-term domestic capital.
“The legal and institutional framework of Nigeria’s pension industry remains one of the nation’s most impactful public policy achievements,” he said.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
