The National Pension Commission (PenCom) is set to launch its inaugural National Pension Week from October 26 to 30, 2026, with a programme designed to expand pension awareness, encourage retirement planning among young Nigerians and extend coverage to workers in the informal sector.
The Director-General of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, announced this at the commission’s 2026 media conference in Abuja.
She said the initiative would bring pension issues closer to Nigerians while promoting financial security before and after retirement.
Oloworaran said the week-long initiative would bring together young people, entrepreneurs, senior citizens, pension professionals, employers, regulators and other stakeholders to deepen understanding of the pension system and encourage wider participation.
She explained that the programme was conceived as a national platform for sustained public engagement on retirement planning, with plans to make it an annual event.
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According to the programme announced by PenCom, activities will begin on October 26 with Youth Engagement Day, during which Pension Fund Administrators and accredited pension agents will educate young Nigerians on the importance of starting retirement savings early.
The day will also feature pension literacy essay competitions for secondary school students, tertiary institution students and members of the National Youth Service Corps.
October 27 will be dedicated to the National SME Fair, targeting entrepreneurs, small-business owners and self-employed Nigerians who may not have access to conventional employer-sponsored pension arrangements.
The engagement is expected to promote awareness of the Personal Pension Plan, which provides a pathway for informal-sector workers, including traders, artisans and other self-employed people, to save towards retirement.
Senior Citizens’ Day, scheduled for October 28, will focus on retirees’ welfare, pension entitlements and new initiatives aimed at improving retirement security.
The programme will be followed by a National Pension Summit on October 29, bringing together industry stakeholders to discuss policy innovation, service delivery, accountability and strategies for expanding pension inclusion.
The final day, October 30, will be dedicated to Press Day, providing an opportunity for journalists to review the week’s discussions and engage PenCom on issues affecting contributors and retirees.
The commission also plans to use the week to advance two initiatives with direct implications for retirees’ welfare: PenCare and the Minimum Pension Guarantee.
PenCare is designed to provide essential healthcare at no cost to eligible low-income retirees, beginning with a pilot targeting 30,000 beneficiaries.
The Minimum Pension Guarantee, meanwhile, is intended to establish a minimum level of pension income for eligible retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme whose accumulated savings may be insufficient to provide adequate retirement benefits.
Oloworaran expressed hope that the initiatives would be launched during the National Pension Week, although their implementation details and eligibility requirements will be important in determining their reach and impact.
The initiative comes as the commission intensifies efforts to bring more Nigerians into the formal retirement savings system, particularly workers outside the conventional public and private-sector employment structures.
PenCom has identified the informal sector as a critical area for expansion, with accredited pension agents being deployed to reach traders, artisans, farmers and transport workers through the Personal Pension Plan.
The commission says the broader objective is to make pension participation more accessible and strengthen financial security for Nigerians across different stages of working life.
The inaugural National Pension Week is therefore expected to serve as both a public awareness campaign and a platform for discussing reforms affecting contributors, pension fund operators and retirees.
