PenCom DG forecasts N300bn gain from N241bn infrastructure investment
By Eberechi Obinagwam
The Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Oloworaran has said that Pension funds have committed a total of N241 billion to infrastructure investments as part of efforts to mobilise long-term capital for infrastructure development in Nigeria.
Owolora disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos while briefing journalists after the Pension Industry Leadership Council meeting, saying the commitment was the first major step under the Pension Industry Infrastructure Consortium established by the pension industry in collaboration with FSD Africa.
She said the commitment was expected to rise to almost N300 billion as the industry receives outstanding commitments, adding that actual investments in infrastructure projects were expected to commence by the second quarter of 2027.
According to her, the initiative is part of the pension industry’s commitment to mobilising long-term capital to deepen infrastructure development in the country.
She said pension funds were interested in infrastructure investments because of their long-term nature and their potential to provide protection against inflation.
“This is the very first step,” Owolora said, adding that the initiative would be expanded as the industry continued to explore ways of contributing to infrastructure development.
”We are working with other partners, so you will also have other developmental partners that will potentially match what the industry has put forward,” she said.
The PenCom DG also disclosed that the council had approved an independent global benchmark maturity assessment for the pension industry.
She said the assessment was aimed at elevating the industry to global standards and ensuring that operators adhered to best practices.
Oloworaran said the exercise would be concluded soon, while further details would be made available as the process progresses.
She also announced that the 2026 Pension Week would hold from October 26 to 30, saying details of the programme would be disclosed within the next two weeks.
On the industry’s long-term outlook, Owolora said the council was working on the Pension Transformation Agenda 2030, which would formalise ongoing reforms and set out where the industry should be by 2030.
She said the meeting therefore focused not only on current activities but also on the industry’s long-term direction and the impact of its reforms on the lives of Nigerians.
She assured journalists that Commission under her watch will only deploy the funds to where it will really make impact.
”I expect it to generate employment. I expect it to improve the livelihoods of people,” she said.
