James Emejo in Abuja
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has inducted the Director General, National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar into the association’s ‘Hall of Fame’ in recognition of her professional service and purposeful leadership in the pension industry.
NANS commended the director general for her hard work, exemplary lifestyle, contribution to nation building and the advancement of the pension industry.
The Senate President of apex students’ body, Comrade Attah Nnalue at an award ceremony held in Abuja, said NANS Merit Award is presented to individuals whose lives exemplifies the ideas of living for the sake of others and dedicate themselves to national building and service to humanity.
He said Dahir-Umar had been part of the journey to reform pension administration and management in Nigeria, adding that under her leadership, PenCom attained significant milestones in its diligent implementation of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 through the successful conclusion of several critical initiatives.
The students’ body also conferred the NANS Merit Award on the PenCom boss for her contributions to national development and support for young people and students.
Specifically, he noted that the awards were in line with the resolution of the 68th Senate Meeting of NANS held on January 25, 2023 at the University of Abuja.
Pension fund assets had been on a sustained growth trajectory, increasing from N6.15 trillion in 2016 to N14.99 trillion as of December 2022. Similarly, the number of registered pension contributors grew from 7.41 million to 9.86 million over the same period.
The launch of the Micro Pension Plan (MPP) by President Muhammadu Buhari in March 2019 was another significant step under her towards the promotion of financial inclusion for self-employed persons and workers in the informal sector.
