The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has described governor of Bayelsa state, Senator Douye Diri, as the most worker-friendly governor in the country, saying his administration has demonstrated unusual commitment to the welfare and retirement security of workers in the state.
The commission gave the commendation Thursday during a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa, of a delegation led by the Finance Commissioner, Dr Charles Emukowhate, who represented the director-general, Ms Omolola Oloworaran.
The commission said the Diri administration had taken various steps to strengthen pension administration in the state, including the amendment of the Pensions Law in December 2022 to align it with the National Pensions Reform Act.
It also stated that the establishment of state pension institutions, appointment of a substantive head of the Pensions Board in February 2026 and the procurement of Employer Codes for 108 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were evidence of the administration’s commitment to pensions reform.
Dr. Emukowhate said Bayelsa was well positioned to become one of the leading states in implementation of the Contributory Pensions Scheme.
He said: “Not many governors are dedicated to these reforms. These achievements are noteworthy, and we believe Bayelsa state is well positioned to take this important step and emerge as one of the leading states in pension reform implementation in Nigeria.
“This is easily the most worker-friendly and worker-centric governor in Nigeria.”
