The National Pension Commission (PenCom) said it has commenced moves to recover over N1.3 billion in unpaid pension contributions owed to journalists by newspaper organisations across the country.
Director-General of PenCom, Ms Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this during a high-level visit to the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) in Abuja.
Oloworaran decried the widespread non-compliance with the Pension Reform Act 2014 (PRA 2014) among media establishments, many of which have failed to remit statutory pension deductions into their employees’ Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA).
“The media must lead by example. Journalists deserve to retire with dignity,” the director-general stated.
She noted that pension contributions are a legal and moral obligation that should not be ignored, adding that PRA 2014 mandates that employers remit monthly pension contributions no later than seven days after payment of salaries.
Oloworaran said Recovery Agents had been assigned to audit the accounts of defaulters, determine outstanding liabilities, and impose applicable penalties.
She disclosed that PenCom and the Nigerian Press Council have formed a joint working group to drive enforcement and push for urgent compliance within the media sector, marking the first time such a focused initiative has targeted journalism institutions.
Executive Secretary of NPC, Dr Dili Ezughah, pledged full support, vowing to rally key stakeholders, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, to confront the issue head-on.
“This is not just about policy; it’s about the welfare and future of journalists in this country. The development signals a turning point in the effort to secure the financial security of Nigerian journalists, many of whom face uncertainty in retirement due to employers’ negligence,” Ezughah said.
