Economy
Micro-pension Scheme will Deepen Asset Accumulation in Nigeria–Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers
By Dipo Olowookere
Managing Director of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mr Eric Fajemisin, has backed measures taken by the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) to sustain growth of the Nigerian pension industry.
According to him, micro pension scheme, multi-fund investment structure and Pension account transfer window, to mention but a few, are among initiatives capable of putting the sector in stronger footing going forward.
Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited is the biggest pension fund administrator (PFA) in the country.
From Sunday, July 1, 2018, the new multi-fund structure announced by the industry regulator would become operational.
Speaking at a media interactive session in Lagos on Monday, May 28, 2018, Mr Fajemisin said such reforms and innovations are necessary to maintain the strength and depth of Nigeria’s Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Mr Fajemisin noted that the Retirement Savings Account (RSA) Multi-Fund Investment structure, which replaces the “one-size-fits-all” arrangement that puts all active contributors into one RSA Fund, would resolve the challenge of asset-liability risk management faced by the operators.
According to him, the micro-pension scheme will help in deepening asset accumulation in the country, and provide the crucial capital required for investment in critical sectors of the economy.
As an initiative designed to cover an estimated 70 percent of Nigeria’s working population in the informal sector, the scheme offers enormous benefits to the society and ensure improved standard of living for the elderly, guarantee the safety of funds and may provide access to other incentives, such as mortgage facilities and health insurance., regardless of challenges associated with its seamless implementation.
By aligning the age and risk profile of RSA holders to match the four funds, contributors would have a better chance to earn improved returns on their investments in proportion to their risk appetites.
The different categories of the multi-funds structure are Fund 1, Fund 2, Fund 3 and Fund 4. Fund I is targeted at people of 49 years and below who in the quest for higher returns are willing to take more risks. Fund 2 is aimed at people who are aged 49 years and below and still working but are satisfied with moderate returns and levels of risks. Fund 3 targets people 50 years and above but still working and have very low risk appetite. In Fund 4 are retirees who have the lowest risk profile of all categories.
Among its other benefits include improved standard of living for the elderly, safety of funds and access to other incentives, such as mortgage facilities and health insurance. In addition are flexible contribution remittances, the opportunity to make withdrawal prior to retirement and the enhancement of financial inclusion in the country.
On the proposed pension transfer window, which allows a RSA holder to switch PFA once a year, the Stanbic IBTC Pension helmsman said it would deepen the democratic space in the pension industry as well as encourage healthy competition, resulting in further transparency and accountability, which would in turn enhance efficiency, innovation and service delivery.
Mr Fajemisin also reviewed the 2014 Pension Reform Act and the impact on the CPS. On the enabling law, he said the introduction of more stringent penalties for erring operators and directors, especially as it relates to mismanagement of funds, has engendered greater corporate governance, making it almost impossible to misapply pension funds by anyone.
By increasing the contributions of the employer and employee to 10 and 8 percent respectively, Mr Fajemisin said the Act has ensured the availability of more benefits to contributors at retirement. In addition, the Act makes the non-remittance of employees’ contribution by the employer an offence which the regulator can prosecute in court.
Amongst its provisions, which expanded its coverage, private sector organizations with just three employees or more are required to register under the scheme; while the law also compels an employer to open a Temporary Retirement Savings Account (TRSA) on behalf of an employee that fails to open a Retirement Savings Account within three months of being employed.
The PFA’s Head of Business Development, Mrs Nike Bajomo, said the company is already reaching out to its over 1.6 million RSA holders nationwide to create awareness about commencement of the multi-fund structure with effect from July 1, 2018. She said the PFA will continue to engage various stakeholders on developments in the industry to ensure the provisions of the CPS are fully harnessed to the benefit of all. Such platforms as the employers’ forum, preretirement seminars, among other initiatives Stanbic IBTC Pensions organises yearly, are fashioned to ensure regular engagement and to drive awareness.
Backed by the experience and expertise of Stanbic IBTC Group, a member of the over 155-year-old Standard Bank Group Mrs Bajomo said the PFA will not relent in providing excellent services to its RSA holders and Nigerians. Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, she said, has over 1.6 million RSA holders nationwide, with assets under management in excess of N2 trillion. It pays approximately N1.3 billion to over 37,000 retirees monthly and over N279 billion has been paid to retirees since the PFA commenced operations in 2006, Bajomo added.
Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited is a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a member of Standard Bank Group, a full service financial services group with a clear focus on three main business pillars – Corporate and Investment Banking, Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management. Standard Bank Group is the largest African financial institution by assets. It is rooted in Africa with strategic representation in 20 countries on the African continent. Standard Bank has been in operation for over 155 years and is focused on building first-class, on-the-ground financial services institutions in chosen countries in Africa; and connecting selected emerging markets to Africa by applying sector expertise, particularly in natural resources, power and infrastructure.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Crude production under the collective Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC ) fell in May to its lowest level in at least 37 years as the blockade of Iran by the United States and disruptions in the Persian Gulf, continued to limit output.
According to a Bloomberg survey released on Friday, output from the organisation’s 11 current members, including Nigeria, dropped by 1.22 million barrels per day to 16.33 million barrels per day last month.
Iran accounted for more than half of the decline. The data excludes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which departed the cartel last month after six decades of membership.
War between a US-Israeli alliance and Iran has reduced oil supplies from the Middle East, largely closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE and Kuwait have been forced to cut crude production. Iranian shipments face additional pressure following a US blockade of its ports imposed in mid-April.
Iranian output fell by 710,000 barrels per day to a five-year low of 2.34 million barrels per day in May, the survey showed. Central Command reported that US forces have redirected 127 commercial vessels to enforce the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports.
Kuwait recorded the second-largest decline last month, with production falling by 310,000 barrels per day to 490,000 barrels per day, less than one-fifth of pre-war levels. Saudi Arabia, the group’s leader, saw output decrease by 240,000 barrels per day to 6.57 million barrels per day.
The production reductions have not prevented OPEC and its allies from raising quotas over recent months, continuing a year-long process of restoring output halted several years ago.
This comes ahead of a meeting scheduled to be held on Sunday, June 7, where a sub-group of seven members is expected to increase targets by 188,000 barrels again in July. The session is one of four online meetings OPEC and its partners plan to hold that day.
Delegates indicated the alliance has plans for two additional monthly quota increases in August and September. UAE output rose by 300,000 barrels per day to 2.44 million barrels per day in May, according to the survey.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The 2025 third quarter Budget Implementation Report from the Budget Office of the Federation has shown that the federal government exceeded the funds allocation for repayment of debts for the first nine months of the fiscal year by about 18 per cent.
In a report by Punch, the sum of N10.74 trillion was budgeted for debt servicing between January and September 2025, but the government used N12.63 trillion for the purpose, N1.90 trillion or 17.65 per cent more than the allocation for the year.
The funds were spent on domestic debts, foreign debts and sinking fund by the central government in nine months.
Business Post reports that for the whole year, the amount approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu for debt repayments was N14.31 trillion.
Looking at the nine-month figures, domestic debt service gulped N6.23 trillion, exceeding its N5.39 trillion provision, while foreign debt service was N6.30 trillion versus the budget provision of N5.06 trillion.
According to the report, the figures indicated that 67.2 per cent of the federal government’s retained revenue of N18.63 trillion was spent on debt service in the first nine months of 2025. When the sinking fund is included, debt-related payments consumed about 67.8 per cent of revenue.
It was also observed that aggregate federal government revenue underperformed the budget by N12.03 trillion or 39.24 per cent, as actual revenue of N18.63 trillion fell short of the N30.67 trillion projected for the first three quarters.
In the third quarter alone, the government generated N7.70 trillion versus the quarterly target of N10.22 trillion as a result of persistent oil revenue shortfalls, despite stronger non-oil collections.
The debt burden also crowded out capital spending, as total capital expenditure was N3.10 trillion in the first nine months compared with the N17.58 trillion budgeted for the period, indicating that actual debt-related payments were more than four times capital expenditure.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange recorded a loss of 1.13 per cent on Thursday, June 4, shrinking the market capitalisation by N30.03 billion to N2.630 trillion from N2.660 trillion on Wednesday.
Similarly, this brought down the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 50.19 points to 4,396.08 points from the 4,446.27 points recorded a day earlier.
The loss was influenced by the overpowering of the bulls by the bears, after the bourse closed with two price gainers and three price losers, led by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc, which slumped by N20.03 to sell at N190.38 per unit compared with midweek’s N210.41 per unit. Food Concepts Plc declined by 25 Kobo to trade at N2.50 per share versus the previous day’s N3.00 per share, and Acorn Petroleum Plc crumbled by 2 Kobo to end at N1.32 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N1.34 per unit.
For the gainers, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc added N2.93 to close at N78.34 per share compared with the previous price of N75.41 per share, and Afriland Properties Plc gained 80 Kobo to settle at N16.80 per unit versus N16.00 per unit.
There was a slip in the volume of transactions yesterday by 46.8 per cent to 280,714 units from 527,221 units, as the value of trades dropped 66.5 per cent to N21.8 million from the preceding session’s N64.2 million, and the number of deals fell by 8.7 per cent to 42 deals from 46 deals.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc ended the session as the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units sold for N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 64.7 million units traded for N4.4 billion.
GNI Plc also finished the day as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units exchanged for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
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