BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has officially licensed Awabah as Nigeria’s first Accredited Pension Agent (APA) under the Personal Pension Plan (PPP).
The formal unveiling took place in Abuja, where PenCom Director General, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, presented the operational APA licence to Awabah’s CEO, Tunji Andrews.
The move positions Awabah to expand pension access to underserved communities and leverage technology to make retirement solutions more inclusive for Nigerians outside the formal employment sector.
Ms. Oloworaran charged Awabah with deepening pension market penetration by taking retirement solutions to markets and other centres of economic activity. Ms. Oloworaran said, “Technology now enables a trader to save ₦500 from her phone, a mechanic to contribute weekly without leaving his workshop, and a farmer to monitor his pension balance in real time.”
The Director General lauded Awabah for taking the lead to be Nigeria’s first APA. “While many were observing from the sidelines, Awabah stepped forward early, embraced the framework, and chose to lead not by chance, but by conviction,” she said.
Speaking at the launch, the CEO of Awabah, Tunji Andrews reaffirmed their commitment to expanding access to retirement solutions for underserved communities and leveraging technology to transform long-term financial wellbeing.
The APA framework, issued by PenCom in September 2025, empowers APAs engaged by Pension Fund Administrators, particularly to market the PPP, register new contributors.
The PPP is a voluntary retirement savings arrangement to extend pension coverage to individuals outside formal employment. It enables contributors, including artisans, traders, freelancers, professionals and other informal sector workers to open Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) with licensed PFAs and make voluntary contributions through approved digital channels.
