ABU Commences Nationwide Online Verification for Staff Pension Rights

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has formally commenced a nationwide online verification and enrolment exercise for all active staff members entitled to accrued pension rights as of June 2004.

This mandatory exercise, outlined in a Special Bulletin dated Wednesday, February 4, 2026, is mandated by the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) to determine the Federal Government's outstanding pension liability and ensure timely retirement benefit payments under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The exercise is in accordance with Section 39(3) of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014, which empowers PENCOM to conduct verification exercises to obtain accurate employee data.

The university administration has initiated the process by uploading details of all eligible staff members onto PENCOM's Contribution and Bond Redemption Application (COBRA) portal, beginning February 2, 2026.

The verification is a one-off, online process spanning several months and is divided into two distinct tranches:

Tranche Category of Employees Start Date End Date

1st Due to retire between Jan 1, 2027 and Dec 31, 2029 Feb 2, 2026 March 31, 2026

2nd Due to retire from Jan 1, 2030 and beyond April 1, 2026 July 31, 2026

Affected staff members are required to complete their online verification and enrolment directly with their respective Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) within the specified timelines.

The University Management has advised all concerned staff members to comply strictly with the approved timelines. The early enrolment exercise will not affect any staff members whose service may be extended under future Federal Government policies.

For further clarification, staff may reach out through appropriate university channels or directly contact PENCOM offices. The bulletin was published by the Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor.