Pension inflows surge 42% despite idle accounts

Quarterly contributions into the Personal Pension Plan rose 42.46 per cent to N147.16m in the first quarter of 2026, up from N103.30m recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025, The PUNCH has learned.

Data obtained from the National Pension Commission’s Q1 2026 pension industry report revealed that the N43.86m surge pushed cumulative contributions under the scheme to N1.66bn since inception.

Reacting to the increase in revenue despite low participation, Lagos-based stock market trader and pension analyst Ade Ojapa said the figures highlight both progress and persistent structural challenges.

“The 42 per cent increase in quarterly inflows demonstrates that active participants are beginning to deposit larger volumes, but the sheer volume of dormant accounts shows that initial onboarding is failing to translate into financial commitment,” Ojapa said.

However, the PenCom report highlighted a severe structural deficit, revealing that 91.4 per cent of registered accounts under the scheme remain dormant.

Out of 219,316 total registrations recorded from inception to Q1 2026, only 18,811 accounts (8.6 per cent) were funded with active Retirement Savings Accounts.

Conversely, 200,505 registered accounts have received zero financial contributions.

The figures underscore a persistent hurdle for the regulator: converting initial registrations into active, recurring pension contributions among informal sector participants.

Explaining the operational realities behind the figures, a member of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria noted that economic conditions heavily dictate compliance among informal workers.

“Unlike formal sector employees whose contributions are deducted at source by employers, informal workers must manually transfer funds while managing unpredictable daily incomes,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “When headline inflation squeezes household budgets, voluntary long-term savings are usually the first casualty.”

Launched under the Micro Pension Plan framework, the initiative was designed by PenCom to extend the Contributory Pension Scheme to self-employed individuals and workers operating within Nigeria’s vast informal economy.

Unlike formal sector employees who benefit from mandatory employer-employee co-contributions under the Pension Reform Act 2014, informal sector contributors participate voluntarily. To encourage uptake, the plan allows flexible contribution schedules and grants contributors access to 40 per cent of their accumulated funds for contingent withdrawals prior to retirement, while the remaining 60 per cent is locked strictly for retirement benefits.

Nigeria’s informal sector accounts for an estimated 80 per cent of the national workforce, representing a critical frontier for pension expansion and financial inclusion.

Offering a path forward for the regulator and operators, financial inclusion advocate and economist, Dr. Kemi Ojo, emphasised the need for technological integration and field-level engagement.

“To convert those 200,000 dormant accounts into active income streams, PenCom and PFAs must partner with microfinance institutions and trade unions to automate micro-deductions. Mobile USSD channels and daily micro-contributions are essential if we expect informal earners to build lasting retirement safety nets,” Ojo asserted.

While the 42.46 per cent quarterly jump in contributions signals encouraging momentum among active depositors, stakeholders emphasise that aggressive sensitisation and digitised collection channels will be crucial to activating the 200,505 idle accounts across the country.