Nigeria’s pension fund assets under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) surged to ₦23.33 trillion as of March 31, 2025, marking a significant leap from the ₦22.51 trillion recorded at the close of 2024.
This was disclosed on Thursday in Lagos by the Director of Surveillance at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr. Saleem Abdulrahman, during a stakeholders’ session.
According to Abdulrahman, the ₦820 billion increase was largely driven by sustained contributions from Retirement Savings Account (RSA) holders, as well as investment income stemming from rising equity values and interest yields on fixed-income instruments.
Abdulrahman explained that the bulk of the assets—₦17.90 trillion or 76.73%—reside in RSA Funds I to VI. Existing schemes made up ₦2.77 trillion (11.87%), while Closed Pension Funds accounted for ₦2.66 trillion (11.40%).
In terms of investment distribution, the report showed that:
62.09% of the total pension assets were invested in Federal Government securities,
11.02% in domestic ordinary shares, and 8.91% in money market instruments.
The commission noted an annualised year-to-date performance of 19.29% across the industry’s investment portfolio as of March 31.
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Abdulrahman also revealed that PenCom, in collaboration with Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa), is hosting a workshop on investment in alternative assets.
The event targets board-level investment and risk management leaders of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), aiming to foster a more diversified and resilient investment strategy.
“This workshop is part of the commission’s broader strategy to enhance portfolio safety and optimise pension fund returns,” he added.
The move reflects PenCom’s ongoing efforts to adapt to market dynamics while ensuring the security and growth of pension contributors’ funds.