Federal Government Borrows N6.16trn From N8.499trn Pension Fund

Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar (Acting Director-General, PenCom)

The total pension assets under the Contributory Pension Scheme rose to N8.49trn as of the end of November 2018 financial period, latest figures obtained from the National Pension Commission on Tuesday revealed.

The pension commission said 72.5 percent of the fund had been borrowed by the Federal Government and invested in the FGN securities totaling N6.16trn during the period under review.
The Pension Fund Administrators also invested 6.87 percent of N584.321bn of the fund in domestic ordinary shares, while 0.71 or N60.529bn of the fund was invested in foreign ordinary shares.

According to the Pension Reform Act, the PFAs manage the funds which are in the custody of the Pension Fund Custodians. The commission stated that it continued its consultative philosophy in the regulation and supervision of the industry.

According to PenCom, the risk-based examination approach was implemented as a way of promoting transparency and providing early warning signals as well as encouraging pension operators to regularly self-evaluate their positions.

The Acting Director-General, PenCom, Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, said in an effort to promote a stable and sustainable pension industry, the commission adopted zero tolerance for non-compliance and consultative supervisory philosophy in the issuance of guidelines and the review of existing ones to further promote sound corporate governance in the industry and ensure the security of the pension assets.

In addition, she said, the commission in 2018, moved to more risk-based approach to supervising pension operators by aligning its supervisory framework with that of the Financial Services Regulation Coordinating Committee.

"We believe this will promote better risk management in licensed pension operators," she said.

She said the commission, last year, released the framework and guidelines for the implementation of the micro pension scheme, which was targeted at increased participation of employees in the informal sector, multi-fund structure and revised guideline for fund accounting as well as revised circular for branch opening and service center by the PFAs.