By Olugbolade Ogboro-Cole
Engr. Olabode Adetunji has commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his deliberate drive to improve the lives of retirees in Ekiti State. He noted that prompt remittance of worker contributions and the steady clearing of inherited obligations have restored confidence in the state’s pension system. He noted that the Governor has shown that a retiree is not a burden to be managed but a citizen to be honoured, and he urges the state to sustain the momentum that has now attracted national attention.
The commendation came as Ekiti State has been named one of the top three finalists for the 2026 National Pension Award in the category of State of the Year in the Implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The National Pension Commission, PenCom, conveyed the nomination in an official notification signed by the Acting Director of its States Operations Department, Mr Akinsola Adeseun. PenCom noted that the nomination recognises the remarkable strides recorded by the Ekiti State Government in adopting, executing and sustaining the Contributory Pension Scheme, and describes the state’s pension management as a model for promoting sustainable pension systems and safeguarding the financial future of retirees.
The Commission added that the nomination emphasizes its commitment to strengthen pension reforms and promoting a sustainable pension system across the country.
Behind the nomination is a record Ekiti’s retirees can count in their hands. Eleven point seven billion naira has been paid as gratuities to three thousand, six hundred and forty-two state pensioners. Thirty-six point six billion naira has gone out as monthly pensions between October 2022 and August 2026. One point one four billion naira in arrears for July to September 2018 has been cleared. Seven point seven eight billion naira has reached two thousand, six hundred and fifty-nine beneficiaries. And thirty-five point seven billion naira has been paid as monthly pension to eleven thousand, five hundred and twenty-four local government retirees.
The nomination according to Engr Adetunji is being received in Ado-Ekiti as a major boost for the state. It reflects the continuous effort of the Oyebanji administration to ensure prompt remittance of worker contributions and to guarantee long-term stability for its workforce upon retirement.
Ekiti now stands among the top three states in the country on Contributory Pension Scheme implementation. The winner will be announced at the grand Award Presentation Ceremony on Thursday, the twenty-ninth of October, 2026, at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
