Workers under 30yrs dominate pension scheme

•12% of 92m workers in the scheme

By Roseamry Iwunze

More young workers under the age of 30 years signed into the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, in the fourth quarter of 2025, Q4’25, as 44,837 contributors representing 39.03 per cent joined the scheme.

This is as total Retirement Savings Accounts, RSAs, rose to 11,042,903 in Q4’25 from 10,928,039 recorded in Q3’25.

According to the fourth quarter report released by the National Pension Commission, PenCom, active membership now corresponds to approximately 12 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated 92 million labour force, leaving substantial headroom for growth, particularly in the informal sector.

A breakdown of the figures show that a total of 40,284 workers between 30-40 years signed into the scheme representing 35.07 per cent,  while a total of 22,182 workers from 40-49 years representing 19.31 per cent, as well as 7,561 workers from 50 years and above, representing 6.58 per cent registered into the scheme in the quarter under review.

Speaking on the development, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria, PenOp, stated that female participation rose to 40.3 per cent of the quarter’s cohort, signaling steady progress in narrowing the gender gap.

“Even more striking, 74.1% of new accounts were opened by Nigerians under 40, underscoring the system’s greatest long-term strength: a young, expanding contributor base whose retirement horizon stretches well beyond 2050. With only 12% of the labour force currently enrolled, the opportunity for growth especially in the informal sector remains immense. This demographic reality calls for investment strategies calibrated to long horizons, with greater risk-bearing capacity to match the future-focused profile of contributors.”

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