Reported by Musa Antiketu,| Journalist at Obaland magazine.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State don approve say civil servants and public workers wey enter government work before January 2017 make dem comot from Contributory Pension Scheme and return to Defined Benefit Scheme.
Di decision come afta workers and pensioners don raise concern over how di contributory pension system dey affect pipo wey don spend many years serving Edo State. Di announcement happen for Benin City on September 4, 2026, when Edo Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Godwin Eshieshie, explain di government position.
Under di new arrangement, workers wey dem employ before January 2017 and later put inside di contributory pension system go return to di Defined Benefit Scheme. But anybody wey enter Edo State civil or public service after January 2017 go continue with di Contributory Pension Scheme.
Di main reason behind di move na to recognise di years wey affected workers don already spend under di old pension arrangement before di contributory system start to operate for di state.
Edo State don already get Contributory Pension Scheme Law since 2010, but di implementation of di arrangement start for February 2017 afta lawmakers amend di law. Because of dis change, some workers wey don already spend several years for government service before 2017 lata find themselves inside di new pension arrangement.
For many of dem, di matter become serious because dem dey fear say di money wey dem go receive afta retirement no go properly reflect di number of years wey dem don serve government.
Before di contributory arrangement, Defined Benefit Scheme dey determine pension based on rules wey consider workers’ years of service and oda conditions. Under di contributory system, government and worker dey make regular contributions into pension accounts managed through pension fund administrators.
Di latest decision therefore mean say di affected pre-2017 workers no go continue under di same arrangement as workers wey government employ afta 2017.
Edo State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress don welcome di decision and describe am as result of long-time pressure and advocacy from workers and pensioners. Labour leaders don previously ask government to remove workers wey enter service before 2017 from di contributory system.
Earlier for May 2026, organised labour for Edo State, including NLC and Trade Union Congress, call on Governor Okpebholo to return pre-2017 workers to di Defined Benefit Scheme. Labour leaders argue say workers wey enter government service under di old system no suppose carry di burden of a pension arrangement wey come later.
Di issue become even more visible afta some Edo retirees protest for Benin City in August 2026. Di retirees ask government to return dem to di old pension arrangement, saying say di contributory system don leave some of dem with pension payments wey dem consider too small compared with their years of service.
Government officials say di new arrangement no mean say Edo State don completely abandon di contributory pension system. Workers wey government employ after January 2017 go still remain under di CPS.
Another important part of di decision na di need to change di state pension law before full implementation. Eshieshie say government go prepare amendment bill and send am to Edo State House of Assembly. Afta lawmakers pass di necessary changes, government go begin full implementation of di new arrangement.
Di Edo State Pension Bureau also look into di financial effect of moving affected workers from CPS to DBS before government approve di decision. Dis mata important because Defined Benefit Scheme fit put bigger direct financial responsibility on state government to provide money for pensions and oda retirement benefits.
Di government also need settle how dem go handle contributions wey affected workers don already make under di contributory system. Edo NLC say di authorities need to properly reconcile those contributions and make sure workers and retirees no lose any entitlement because of di change.
For affected retirees wey don already retire under CPS, labour leaders say dem suppose receive pension treatment wey match di arrangement for oda retirees under di old system. Di exact way government go calculate and pay di benefits go depend on di implementation rules and any amendment wey di House of Assembly approve.
Di development therefore get two sides. For workers and pensioners wey don complain about di contributory arrangement, di decision fit bring more confidence and retirement certainty. But for Edo State Government, di move go require careful financial planning, proper record checking and transparent implementation to make sure say di new pension responsibility no create anoda backlog.
Di bigger question now na how quickly government go pass di required amendment, reconcile existing pension contributions and begin payment under di new arrangement.
If government successfully carry out di process, di policy go affect a major group of Edo workers wey enter public service before January 2017, while younger workers wey enter service afta dat period go continue under di contributory system.
For Obaland magazine, di important thing no be only di announcement itself, but how government go turn di announcement into a working pension arrangement wey go protect workers’ legitimate retirement rights, maintain financial responsibility and prevent anoda pension crisis for Edo State.