Experts gather in Lagos for Inspenonline Retirement Summit, tackles informal sector vulnerability - ITREALMS

How to transition informal sector workers from a cycle of "daily survival" to a life of "structured retirement" through innovative insurance and pension instruments is the central question experts will address at the 2026 Inspenonline Retirement Summit, reports ITREALMS.

The high-profile gathering, which marks the third edition in the series, is scheduled to take place at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) House, Plot A2, Hakeem Balogun Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, bringing together the nation's financial sentinels and regulatory leadership to forge a new path for inclusive economic resilience.

According to the promoter of the summit and Publisher of Inspenonline, Chuks Udo Okonta, the event addresses a critical structural gap in Nigeria’s financial ecosystem, which is the extreme vulnerability of the informal workforce.

With over 90 percent of the national workforce operating completely outside formal institutional structures, Okonta noted that the summit serves as a necessary strategic roadmap to ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of their employment status, can eventually retire with personal dignity and long-term financial security.

He emphasized that the summit aims to bridge this profound financial inclusion gap by exploring how the Personal Pension Plan (PPP) and micro-life insurance products can be dynamically tailored to the irregular income streams of informal workers, ensuring they can consistently save towards a comfortable life in retirement.

A distinguished lineup of dignitaries and industry captains has been assembled to brainstorm practical solutions at the event. The Chairman of STI Leasing Limited, Tom Ogboi, will preside over the summit as the Chairman of the Day, steering the discourse toward standardized transformation.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Omosehin, alongside the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, are fully expected to grace the occasion as the Special Guests of Honour, representing the regulatory backbone of the financial safety net.

The core intellectual foundation of the event will be established via a comprehensive Keynote Address delivered by the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, who will provide crucial macro-economic perspectives on integrating informal markets into the wider national security matrix.

Further strengthening this coordinated framework are confirmed industry leaders including the Director-General of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mrs. Bola Odukale; the Chief Executive Officer of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Anthonia Ifeanyi-Okoro; the President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe; and the National President of the Association of Registered Insurance Agents (ARIA), Mayowa Olatubosun.

To move beyond policy theory and tackle the immediate practicalities of grassroots pension and insurance adoption, a robust panel session has been curated for an unblinking recording of reality. 

The paper discussants tasked with interrogating these mechanisms include the National President of the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Dr. Femi Egbesola; the Managing Director of Coronation Life Assurance Limited, Adebowale Adesona; the Managing Director of Leadway Pensure Limited, Olusakin Labeodan; and the Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Funmi Sessi, ensuring that both organized labor and small business owners have a direct voice in shaping the future of informal retirement.

Branding: ITREALMS Online | Audit is Trustworthy | DigitalSENSE Africa Focus: Financial Inclusion & Pension Policy Advocacy Source Reference: Inspenonline Editorial Secretariat