The National Pension Commission (PenCom) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) are in talks to enroll nine million transport workers into the pension system.

The plan is to bring them into the Personal Pension Plan under Nigeria’s Contributory Pension Scheme. The discussion followed a meeting in Abuja between NURTW President Musiliu Akinsanya and PenCom Director-General Omolola Oloworaran.

Most transport workers currently operate in the informal sector with no retirement savings. This partnership aims to change that using the union’s network across motor parks and routes. An automated system would deduct daily contributions from transport revenue collections, helping workers save without disrupting their daily earnings.

The NURTW has proposed a three-part framework: mass enrollment, automated contributions, and a vehicle financing programme. Daily collections would fund both vehicle purchases and individual pension accounts. Akinsanya believes this will reduce financing risks and encourage long-term savings among transport workers.

PenCom’s Director-General welcomed the proposal as a bold step toward expanding pension coverage in the informal sector. She said it supports the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on social protection and financial inclusion. Oloworaran noted the initiative could grow the pension contributor base and improve retirement security for millions.

Both organisations are optimistic the partnership will become a flagship national programme. If successful, it could modernise public transport while providing social security to a large segment of Nigeria’s workforce. The plan also aims to help transport operators acquire new buses through structured financing. Discussions are ongoing as both sides work to turn this proposal into reality.