The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has issued a strong advisory to employers and companies seeking pension clearance certificates, urging them to refrain from engaging touts and agents for this purpose.

Mr. Abdulqadir Dahiru, the Head of Corporate Communications at PenCom, emphasized the illegality of using intermediaries for obtaining pension clearance certificates, citing the provisions of section 104 (b) and (c) of the Pension Reform Act 2014.

In a statement released on Friday in Abuja, Dahiru stressed that the issuance of pension clearance certificates is a free-of-charge process with a straightforward and transparent application process. He urged employers to communicate directly with PenCom when handling matters related to applications for pension clearance certificates.

Dahiru outlined the necessary steps for employers seeking to obtain pension clearance certificates, including the submission of specific required documents. These documents include:

  1. A certified list of employees of the organization as of the end of the last fiscal year. The certification must be conducted by an authorized official of the applicant organization.
  2. A certified rate of monthly pension contributions, specifying both employer and employee rates. The minimum rates are ten percent by the employer and eight percent by the employee based on the monthly emoluments.
  3. Evidence of remittance of monthly pension contributions for all employees, covering the last three fiscal years for organizations in existence during that period. Organizations in existence for less than three fiscal years must provide evidence from the date of incorporation/registration/licensing to the last fiscal year.
  4. Evidence of remittance of all outstanding pension contributions and penalties for late remittance.
  5. Evidence of the transfer of pension fund and assets held before the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to a licensed pension fund operator. This applies to organizations that had pension arrangements or were in custody of pension assets before June 2004.
  6. Evidence of a current Group Life Insurance Policy procured for the organization’s staff, specifying the number of lives covered and the sum assured.

Dahiru further informed applicants that PenCom processes applications submitted with full documentation within seven working days. While the application process is undergoing automation, certificates of compliance can currently be collected at the offices where applications were submitted.

Applicants can submit their applications at PenCom headquarters or any of its six geopolitical zones. Additionally, they can track the status of their applications by visiting the commission’s website, where the list of organizations issued with clearance certificates is updated daily.

PenCom’s call for direct engagement with the commission aims to ensure transparency and compliance with pension regulations, fostering a more efficient pension clearance process for employers across Nigeria.

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