The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has commenced the 2023 online Verification and Enrolment Exercise for retirees/prospective retirees of treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).The nation-wide exercise, which started on 17 October 2022, will be concluded on 31 December 2022.
Those eligible for the exercise are employees of Federal Government Treasury-Funded MDAs due to retire in 2023 and those who missed the enrolment exercises in previous years. Eligible individuals are required to register and provide their employment details on the online Enrolment Application portal, which is hosted on PenCom’s website (www.pencom.com.ng).
It is important to note thatprior to enrolment, all retirees/prospective retirees are required to visit their Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and undergo the Data Recapture Exercise (DRE). The DRE entails retirees / prospective retirees providing their RSA registration details and their National Identity Number (NIN). Retirees who had undergone the DRE earlier, are not required to repeat it. In this article, we would explain the three stages of the online Verification and Enrolment Exercise namely, Registration, Verification and Enrolment.
Registration
Two registration options have been provided for the enrolment exercise: the Self-Assisted option and the Pension Desk Officer (PDO) / PFA-Assisted option. For the Self-Assisted option, retirees/prospective retirees are required to use a smart device (phone, tablet etc,) to visit the PenCom website and on the home page, click on the Enrolment Application to register and scan the necessary documents required for the Verification and Enrolment Exercise. The prospective retiree /retiree should then print his acknowledgment slip showing that he has completed registration. The retiree should then proceed to his PFA to conclude the enrolment exercise.
The PDO/PFA-Assisted option is for retirees/prospective retirees who are unable to complete the online registration for any reason. Such retirees are to approach the PDOof their respective MDAs or visit their PFAs for assistance. The PDOs or PFAs would guide and assist the prospective retirees to register, scan and upload all their required documents on the registration portal.
Verification
After registration, the Verification level is carried out by PFAs. The objective of the verification stage is to ensure that the retiree/prospective retiree has uploaded all the required documents. The PFAs would also sight the originals or Certified True Copies (CTC) of documents uploaded by the retiree/prospective retiree and collect the original copies of the Record of Service and the introduction letter given to the retiree/prospective retiree by his/her MDA.
Enrolment
After a successful verification, the PFA shall capture a live photograph of the retiree/prospective retiree on the Enrolment Application. Thereafter, the PFA shall print two copies of the Registration Slip (Enrolment Slip) for the retiree/prospective retiree and the Enrolment Officer to sign. The signed copy of the Registration slip is scanned and uploaded on the Enrolment Application while a copy is given to the retiree / prospective retiree.
Significantly, provision has been made to enrol sick and incapacitated retirees/prospective retirees on the Enrolment Application. In such instances, the Next-Of-Kin (NOK) of the sick retiree shall inform the Pension Desk Officer (PDO) of the health challenge that prevents the retiree/prospective retiree from physically appearing for the enrolment exercise. The NOK shall log-on to the Enrolment Application to conduct the registration on behalf of the sick or incapacitated retiree/prospective retiree. Upon successful registration, the NOK along with the PDO shall proceed to the PFA of the sick or incapacitated retiree/prospective retiree to conclude the enrolment process. The official I.D. of the PDO will be captured in place of the live photograph of the retiree/prospective retiree. It should be noted that a medical report is a mandatory requirement for this mode of enrolment.
MDAs have an important role in ensuring that retirees are adequately guided on the documents needed for the online enrolment and verification. In addition, MDAs are expected to upload a list of their potential retirees and issue introduction letters to the prospective retirees, amongst others. It is in recognition of their role in the success of the Enrolment Exercise that PenCom organized a workshop for PDOs of MDAs in June 2022.
For seamless online enrolment and verification of eligible retirees/prospective retirees, PFAs also have their role clearly outlined. They are responsible for verification and enrolment of the retiree/prospective retiree, assisting retirees who are unable to use the self-service option to register on the Enrolment Application and forwarding required reports to PenCom. In addition, PFAs are expected to have in place, the necessary ICT infrastructure as prescribed by PenCom for a seamless conduct of the exercise.
In conclusion, the automation of the enrolment exercise by PenCom has eased the process of verification and enrolment for eligible retirees/prospective retirees. The online enrolment enables PFAs to speed up the enrolment and verification of retirees. It also helps PenCom to seamlessly carry out the computation of Accrued Pension Rights. With the relative ease of the process, prospective retirees should be able to easily enroll within the stipulated timeline as advised by PenCom.
