The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has set a target to register one million self-employed women under its Personal Pension Plan (PPP) as part of efforts to strengthen financial security for workers in Nigeria’s informal sector.
Director-General of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this during the International Women’s Day 2026 outreach in Abuja, where the commission encouraged women—particularly those who are self-employed—to begin saving for retirement through the scheme.
Oloworaran said women play a significant role in both families and society, noting that many workers in the informal sector are women who often lack structured financial protection for old age.
She explained that the commission chose to focus on markets and other informal workspaces because many women in these areas work tirelessly to support their families and communities but rarely plan for retirement.
According to her, Nigeria’s informal sector accounts for more than 77 million workers, making it possible for the commission to meet its annual target if awareness and participation increase across the country.
Oloworaran also said PenCom will monitor the progress of registrations daily through reports from Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) to determine how close the commission is to achieving the one-million-woman target.
She added that the pension scheme includes provisions for next of kin to ensure that beneficiaries can access savings in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
As part of incentives to encourage participation, Oloworaran said PenCom operates a matching contribution programme in which the commission doubles deposits made by participants up to a maximum of ₦20,000, working in collaboration with PFAs and donor partners to support the initiative.
