The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has described Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, as the most worker-friendly governor in Nigeria, citing his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare and pension reforms.
PenCom made the commendation on Thursday when a delegation led by the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Charles Emukowhate, visited the Bayelsa State Government House in Yenagoa.
The commission highlighted several reforms by the Diri administration, including the amendment of the state’s pension law in 2022 to align with the National Pension Reform Act, the establishment of pension institutions and the appointment of a substantive head of the Pensions Board in February 2026.
It also noted the procurement of Employer Codes for 108 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), describing the developments as evidence of Bayelsa’s commitment to implementing the Contributory Pension Scheme.
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Emukowhate said the reforms had positioned Bayelsa to become one of Nigeria’s leading states in pension administration.
“Not many governors are dedicated to these reforms. These achievements are noteworthy,” he said, describing Diri as “the most worker-friendly and worker-centric governor in Nigeria.”
Responding, Diri said workers’ and pensioners’ welfare remained a priority of his administration, noting that the government had inherited a huge backlog of unpaid pensions and gratuities in 2020.
He said his administration had paid more than N20 billion in outstanding gratuities to state retirees, including some claims dating back to 2007.
Diri added that Bayelsa had commenced the transition to the Contributory Pension Scheme and was working with PenCom, labour unions and other stakeholders to ensure its transparent and successful implementation.
He said the objective was to ensure that workers could retire with dignity and receive their entitlements without having to lobby officials.
