PenCom Raises Alarm: Newspaper Owners Owe N720m in Unpaid Pensions

From Left: The Director General of the National Pension Commission, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran and the President, Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mr. Kabiru Yusuf during a recent visit to the President of NPAN.

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has raised the alarm over media houses’ non-compliance with pension regulations, stating that newspaper owners owe journalists over N720 million in unpaid pension contributions.

Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, PenCom’s Director General, made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to Mr. Kabiru Yusuf, President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), in Abuja on Monday.

Oloworaran described the growing non-compliance as “very troubling” and called for greater collaboration between PenCom and media proprietors to enable them to clear their pension obligations, a key requirement under the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014.

While acknowledging the media’s significant role in shaping public opinion, Oloworaran said many media organizations have disregarded their responsibilities toward their workers. The PRA 2014 expressly mandates all employers to remit pension contributions within seven days of salary payments, a requirement many media houses have failed to fulfill , with total arrears exceeding N720 million.

Instead of penalties, PenCom prefers a collaborative approach. Oloworaran explained that the commission is already engaging stakeholders across sectors, including the Nigerian Press Council, to aid compliance.

She commended Daily Trust for honoring its pension obligations since 2015 and setting a strong example for the industry.

In response, NPAN President Kabiru Yusuf explained that many media houses are battling financial struggles, making it difficult for them to pay salaries alongside pension contributions. He stressed that while a few are managing to stay solvent, the majority are battling for survival,  adding that penalties could undermine their operations.

Yusuf advocated for a broader dialogue under the umbrella of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) ,a coalition that includes NPAN, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to collectively identify realistic solutions to aid compliance.

Oloworaran warmly accepted the proposal, stating: “We are not looking to be punitive, but to collaborate. Our aim is to enable media houses to provide financial security for their workers while honoring their obligations under the PRA 2014.”

The meeting marked a renewed push by PenCom to foster compliance and protect journalists’ pension rights across the industry.

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