The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has directed Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) to obtain the consent of retirees before enrolling them in the PenCare healthcare scheme.
The directive is aimed at ensuring transparency and protecting the rights of retirees, by making sure no retiree is enrolled in the scheme without their full knowledge and voluntary approval.
PenCom said PFAs must clearly explain the benefits, costs and terms of the PenCare scheme to retirees and secure their written consent before any deduction or enrollment is made.
Under the directive, administrators must use a standard PenCare consent form prescribed by the regulator.
The form must remain separate from the Programmed Withdrawal Agreement, and a retiree’s refusal to join PenCare cannot delay the processing or payment of retirement benefits.
PenCom established PenCare with licensed pension-fund operators to improve access to quality healthcare for eligible retirees under Nigeria’s Contributory Pension Scheme.
The commission said the standardized process is designed to identify eligible retirees promptly, reduce delays in securing consent and improve the completeness of enrollment records.
The regulator requires administrators to explain the program before seeking approval and to ensure that retirees decide voluntarily, without coercion or undue influence.
Pension managers must retain signed consent forms, keep separate records of retirees who accept or decline enrollment, and report consenting retirees to PenCom in the prescribed format and frequency.
PenCom also imposed data-protection requirements.
Personal information collected under the initiative may be processed only to determine eligibility and facilitate enrollment, and disclosure to third parties is permitted only with the commission’s authorization or where required by law.
Administrators must comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023, the General Application and Implementation Directive of 2025 and other applicable regulations.
PenCom said it would monitor compliance through routine supervisory examinations and could take regulatory action against firms that fail to meet the requirements.
