Nigeria’s PenCom Targets ₦1.3bn Pension Debt Owed to Journalists by Newspapers

April 29, 2025 – Nigeria –

Nigeria’s National Pension Commission (PenCom) has launched a major enforcement initiative to recover ₦1.3 billion in unpaid pension contributions owed to journalists by various newspaper organisations across the country. This move is in response to persistent non-compliance by media employers with pension remittance obligations, despite statutory requirements under the Pension Reform Act of 2014.

According to PenCom, the commission has deployed recovery agents to pursue outstanding remittances from defaulting media houses. These agents are tasked with auditing the records of the defaulting organisations and initiating recovery measures where necessary. The ₦1.3 billion debt covers unremitted pension contributions and penalties incurred over time, highlighting long-standing financial negligence in the Nigerian media sector.

PenCom’s Head of Corporate Communications, Olipinde Akinwale, explained that this recovery effort is part of a broader compliance strategy aimed at protecting workers’ retirement benefits, especially in vulnerable sectors like journalism. He emphasized that journalists are entitled to the same pension rights and protections as other workers, and PenCom is determined to ensure they are not shortchanged by their employers.

The issue of unpaid pensions in the Nigerian media landscape has been a long-running concern. Many journalists, especially those working for private newspaper firms, have reported irregular or non-existent pension remittances, despite monthly deductions from their salaries. This gap not only threatens the financial security of journalists after retirement but also undermines the integrity of the country’s contributory pension system.

Several journalist unions and professional bodies, including the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), have welcomed PenCom’s action. They have previously called on the government to hold employers accountable and ensure that pension contributions are promptly and fully remitted.

This crackdown by PenCom comes amid growing scrutiny of employment practices in Nigeria’s media industry, where financial instability, late salary payments, and non-compliance with labour laws are widespread. The recovery initiative is expected to serve as a warning to other sectors that have yet to comply fully with pension regulations.

As PenCom intensifies efforts to enforce pension laws, journalists across Nigeria remain hopeful that this move will finally deliver justice and financial stability for professionals who have long endured institutional neglect.

Reference – 

PenCom moves to recover N1.3bn unpaid pension contributions for Journalists from newspaper organisations

https://punchng.com/pencom-to-recover-n1-3bn-pension-debt-from-newspapers/

https://leadership.ng/pencom-moves-to-recover-n1-3bn-unremitted-pensions-for-journalists/