FG Intensifies Efforts Towards Online Verification for Civil Servants as PenCom Deploys Digital Platform 

Ebere Nwoji

As part of effort to settle its pension obligations from the old Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), which existed before the introduction of the CPS in 2004, the federal government has intensified efforts to improve participation in the ongoing mandatory verification and enrolment exercise for civil servants with accrued pension rights.

The government’s efforts is as a result of low turnout of concerned civil servants towards the required verification exercise despite the importance of the nationwide exercise being conducted by the National Pension Commission (PenCom).

PenCom had commenced a one-time nationwide Online Verification and Enrolment Exercise for all active employees of treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) who were employed before 30 June 2004.

The exercise, which commenced on February 2, 2026 to end on July 31, 2026, according to PenCom, is aimed at capturing accurate and complete data on eligible workers. “This will support the timely payment of their accrued pension rights under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS)to address Legacy Pension Liabilities,” PenCom said.

According to the commission, under Section 15(1) of the Pension Reform Act 2014 (PRA 2014), employees who moved to the CPS are entitled to accrued pension rights, representing benefits earned under the DBS. To fund these obligations, the law provides for the establishment of the Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund, domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). 

In a circular issued on 27 April 2026, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack had directed all treasury-funded MDAs to support the exercise. The circular emphasised that verification was essential for determining the federal government’s outstanding pension liabilities and making adequate budget provisions for their settlement. 

Few years back, the exercise was carried out through manual processes that were often affected by incomplete records and delays.  

PenCom said digital transformation drives its approach prior to the automation a few years ago. It said the current exercise was fully digital and a significant technological improvement from the initial online enrolment platform. 

“PenCom has now deployed the new contributions and bond redemption application (COBRA), a secure platform designed to support real-time data capture, validation and processing. The platform includes multiple layers of verification, such as biometric capture and cross-checking of employment records,” the commission stated. 

According to PenCom, this helps to improve data accuracy and reduce errors that could delay pension payments at retirement.

According to PenCom, the first phase, which ran from February 2, to March 31, 2026, covered employees expected to retire between January 2027 and December 2029. The ongoing second phase, from April 1, to July 31st 2026, is for employees who will retire from January 2030 onwards. 

PenCom noted that the phased approach would improve coordination, enhance monitoring and ensure that all eligible employees are captured within the timeline. It said compliance was low despite these arrangements, and participation has remained below expectations. This led to a directive from the Head of Service mandating full compliance by all treasury-funded MDAs. 

According to PenCom, MDAs are required to upload details of eligible employees on the COBRA platform, after which affected employees are to visit their respective Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) with the necessary documents to complete the process. Pension Desk Officers (PDOs), trained by PenCom, are responsible for coordinating the exercise within their organisations and guiding staff through the process. PenCom has assured employees that participating in the exercise would enable the computation of the employees’ accrued pension rights and advised the federal government on adequate provision to be made. The commission said this would further ensure seamless access to benefits immediately after a worker retires.  

The commission therefore called for urgent participation in the exercise with deadline approaching.

Meanwhile the federal government has urged Permanent Secretaries and heads of MDAs to widely publicise the directive and ensure full participation. 

The government said failure to take part in the exercise might complicate the processing of accrued pension rights at retirement and could lead to delays in accessing benefits.