…entitlements. It further claimed that more than 80 per cent of states and workers in the informal sector had not benefited from any form of wage award.Make PUNCH part of your everyday experience.Add us to your Preferred Sources “How do we go back to the same wage award that never benefited all workers? How can workers…

…plans would complement the existing Ilera Eko scheme for vulnerable residents and the informal sector. “Governor Sanwo-Olu gave every resident until 31 December 2026 to obtain insurance cover, with enforcement commencing on 1 January 2027,” the statement read. Speaking at an event attended by government officials, heal…

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief The National Pension Commission is targeting Nigeria’s informal sector to secure the participation of the nation’s largest group of workers in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The Director-General of Pencom, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, who spoke at the 2026 National Pension Commission…

…public holidays offer a rare opportunity to rest. Whether in formal employment or the informal sector, most Nigerians work long hours and often manage multiple jobs or side hustles to meet daily expenses. A public holiday removes the pressure of early morning commutes and demanding schedules, giving people a chance to…

…the Contributory Pension Scheme to Nigerians in the diaspora, self-employed persons and informal sector workers under its Pension 2.0 reforms. The Director-General of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this on Tuesday at the commission’s 2026 Customer Service Week seminar themed “Extra Mile.” Oloworaran, represented…

…Data Bank project on Tuesday in AbujaThe registration targets youths in both formal and informal sectors, from agriculture and sports to creative and technology industriesEnumerators will be deployed across all 774 local government areas, including hard-to-reach communities, to capture eligible NigeriansPAY ATTENTION:…

…were essential to sustainable economic development, particularly within Nigeria’s informal sector. Alebiosu said the sector provided livelihoods and entrepreneurial opportunities to millions of Nigerians but faced an ethical dilemma as many businesses remained primarily focused on survival. “Ethics and sustainability s…

…for a more aggressive internally generated revenue drive, particularly through the informal sector. He said, “Thousands of informal sectors need to be captured. What I expect of internal revenue is to make sure they are all well captured so that they can easily take whatever is due to the government from them.” On reve…

…channels, particularly among farmers, traders, small businesses and operators in the informal sector. According to him, increased use of digital payment platforms would expand access to financial services, encourage participation in the formal economy and promote inclusive economic growth. Salihu encouraged entrepreneu…

…each under the NiYA StartUp initiative, while another 200 young people operating in the informal sector received N500,000 each to strengthen their businesses. He added that the ministry’s partnership with Cascador Founders would provide additional support to selected young entrepreneurs on the NiYA platform, particular…

…a scheme designed to extend affordable healthcare to millions of Nigerians in the informal sector and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the formal launch in Lagos, the Managing Director and CEO of Ultimate Health HMO, Otunba Lekan Ewenla, described the initiative as a significant milestone in broadening acc…

…(MSMEs), warning that millions of businesses across West Africa remain trapped in the informal sector with limited access to finance, markets and legal protection. The call was made on Monday at the opening of a joint committee meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, where lawmakers said strengt…

…noting that ignorance of tax laws remains one of the biggest challenges facing the informal sector. “We want our people to understand taxation better. We are ready to educate them on how to keep proper records, manage their businesses, and comply with the law. We don’t want businesses to collapse because when they grow…

…falls below a guaranteed basic income. The Commission also intends to initiate an informal sector expansion through a rollout of the Personal Pension Plan and a network of Accredited Pension Agents designed to extend coverage to traders, artisans, transport workers, and fintech users while creating job opportunities. A…

…the State Action Business Environment Reform Programme. However, Audu acknowledged that informal sector businesses remained grossly underserved. “We are not doing enough for them. It is an area of concern for me,” she said, announcing a forthcoming initiative called Enable Her, a programme to create business clusters w…

…stated this on Friday while inaugurating access roads, power, and water supply for the informal sector layout in Wasa District, Abuja. The president, who was represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, described the informal sector as the true “engine of the nation’s economy”, sustaining…

…to fail because no tax system can do so in a largely unproductive economy, of which the informal sector accounts for nearly 90 per cent. Recently, the World Bank said Nigeria's challenge is not high debt but low revenue. But low revenue is pushing Nigeria into high debt. Domestic borrowing reached N40.38trn in May 2026…

…PPP, in what could become one of the largest pension inclusion initiatives targeting the informal sector. The initiative emerged during a meeting between PenCom Director-General, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, and the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known…

…more than 93 per cent of Nigeria's working population earn their livelihoods in the informal sector, yet most lack access to pensions, health insurance and other social protection measures that could cushion the effects of economic hardship. FIWON expressed concern over the low enrollment in the Micro Pension Scheme, n…