The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Council, has declared a statewide enforcement action against government institutions and private companies that have failed to remit workers' pension deductions. It warned that defaulting employers would face prosecution and public exposure beginning June 1, 2026.
Rising Complaints Prompt Action
The move followed what the labour union described as an alarming increase in complaints from workers whose pension contributions were deducted monthly from their salaries but allegedly not remitted to their respective Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).
Chairman of the NLC Lagos State Council, Funmi Sessi, announced the planned crackdown during an interactive session on the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) organised in Lagos by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) for labour leaders and union executives.
Monitoring and Enforcement Teams
Sessi said the union had concluded plans to deploy monitoring and enforcement teams across Lagos State in collaboration with PenCom and other stakeholders to identify and sanction employers violating the Pension Reform Act.
According to her, the failure of employers to remit deducted pension contributions has continued to endanger the retirement future of thousands of Nigerian workers, many of whom only discover the infractions when approaching retirement.
“It is unacceptable that despite monthly deductions from workers’ salaries under the Contributory Pension Scheme, many employers have deliberately failed to remit these funds to the appropriate Pension Fund Administrators,” she said.
Violation of Labour Laws
The labour leader described the practice as a violation of Labour laws, a breach of employee trust and an economic injustice against workers who had spent productive years contributing to national growth.
She stressed that pension remittance remained a statutory right of every worker and not a privilege to be granted at the discretion of employers. Sessi warned that the union would adopt both legal and public accountability measures against organisations found culpable.
PenCom's Commitment
PenCom’s Head of Compliance Department, Ahmed Lawan, who represented the Commission’s Director-General, Omolola Oloworaran, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening compliance with pension regulations nationwide.
Lawan said PenCom would continue to collaborate with organised labour and employers to ensure that workers retire with dignity and enjoy the benefits of the contributory pension scheme.
He noted that the Commission had sustained reforms and compliance initiatives aimed at improving retirement welfare and protecting contributors from pension abuses.
