Cynthia Ezekwe
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has scored a resounding success in the 2023 Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), ranking first among 50 regulatory agencies in Nigeria assessed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The EICS measures the effectiveness of ethics and integrity compliance measures adopted by public institutions, and PenCom’s top ranking reflects its commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct.
The ICPC’s comprehensive scorecard, which ranks 404 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) across Nigeria, placed PenCom 14th overall. According to the ICPC, PenCom achieved “substantial compliance,” a commendable achievement that reflects the Commission’s commitment to maintaining high standards of integrity and ethics.
In recognition of PenCom’s accomplishment, the ICPC commended the commission’s commitment to upholding ethics and integrity in its operations. The ICPC noted that PenCom’s well-established structures and processes have fostered efficiency and productivity, which has contributed to its success. The ICPC further commended the commission’s management and encouraged it to continue to maintain its high level of service delivery, ensuring the well-being of pension contributors and retirees.
Commenting on the achievement, PenCom stated that it remains committed to sustaining the well-acknowledged transparency in regulating the Nigerian pension industry for the benefit of pension contributors and retirees.
This, it noted, continues to manifest through a consistent increase in pension assets and other key performance indicators” the statement noted.
The ICPC’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard is an annual assessment of MDAs that aims to evaluate compliance with existing ethical, integrity, statutory, policy, and regulatory standards and practices. This initiative is in line with the ICPC’s mandate to prevent corruption, reduce risk, and strengthen ethical and integrity benchmarks within public service institutions.
The scorecard is considered a critical tool in promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability.
The ICPC believes that by ensuring compliance with ethical standards, MDAs will be able to deliver better services and foster a culture of ethical conduct among public servants.
