By LOVETH AZODO, Lagos
The Federal Government has intensified its push to capture accurate pension records of legacy public servants, rolling out a fully digital verification and enrolment drive targeted at pre-2004 treasury-funded employees, amid concerns over low participation.
The nationwide exercise, being conducted by the National Pension Commission (PenCom), is a one-off mandatory programme for active staff of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) employed before June 30, 2004. It commenced on February 2, 2026, and is scheduled to end on July 31, 2026.
The initiative is designed to generate comprehensive and accurate data on eligible civil servants to facilitate the timely payment of accrued pension rights under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Officials say the exercise is critical to resolving longstanding pension liabilities inherited from the defunct Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), which preceded the CPS. Under Section 15(1) of the Pension Reform Act 2014, employees who transitioned to the CPS are entitled to accrued rights representing benefits earned under the old system.
To finance these obligations, the law established the Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In a directive issued on April 27, 2026, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, ordered all treasury-funded MDAs to ensure full compliance, stressing that the verification process is essential for determining the government’s outstanding pension liabilities and enabling adequate budgetary provisions.
Digital Overhaul Targets Efficiency
PenCom said the current exercise marks a major shift from the previously manual system, which was plagued by incomplete records and delays. At the heart of the new process is the deployment of the Contributions and Bond Redemption Application (COBRA), a secure digital platform designed to support real-time data capture, validation and processing.
The platform integrates biometric verification and cross-checking of employment records, significantly improving data accuracy and reducing errors that could delay pension payments at retirement.
Phased Rollout to Ease Pressure
To manage the process efficiently, the exercise has been structured in phases. The first phase, which ran from February 2 to March 31, 2026, covered employees expected to retire between January 2027 and December 2029.
The ongoing second phase, from April 1 to July 31, 2026, targets employees retiring from January 2030 onwards.
According to PenCom, the phased approach is aimed at improving coordination, reducing system congestion, and ensuring all eligible workers are captured within the timeline.
Compliance Concerns Emerge
Despite these arrangements, participation levels have remained below expectations, prompting the Federal Government to issue a stronger compliance directive to MDAs.
Under the guidelines, MDAs are required to upload details of eligible staff on the COBRA platform, after which affected employees must visit their respective Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) with relevant documents to complete the process.
Pension Desk Officers (PDOs), trained by PenCom, have been tasked with coordinating the exercise within their organisations and guiding staff through the verification process.
PenCom assured that participation would enable accurate computation of accrued pension rights and inform government funding provisions, ultimately ensuring seamless access to benefits upon retirement.
Deadline Pressure Mounts
With the July 31 deadline fast approaching, the Federal Government has urged Permanent Secretaries and heads of MDAs to intensify awareness and ensure full participation.
Officials warned that failure to comply could complicate the processing of accrued pension rights and lead to delays in accessing retirement benefits.
As the enrolment window narrows, attention is shifting to how effectively MDAs can mobilise their workforce to close the participation gap and support what authorities describe as a critical step toward securing the retirement future of Nigeria’s public servants.
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