PenCom DG, ASSBIFI boss urge job security as AI gains ground

Omolola Oloworaran, the director-general of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), and Olusoji Oluwole, president, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), have urged stakeholders in the labour/employment ecosystem to collaborate and rethink policies and processes to protect workers amid growing artificial intelligence (AI’s) influence.

Oloworaran spoke at the 2025 Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN’s) workshop, with a focus on artificial intelligence, held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday, October 10.

She emphasised that the evolving world of work, driven by AI and digital transformation, demands renewed collaboration among government, labour, and industry players.

She stated PenCom’s commitment to digital innovation. Oloworaran said the Commission’s Pension Revolution 2.0 reform agenda is strategically designed to leverage technology and reshape Nigeria’s pension administration.

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According to the PenCom boss, the initiative focuses on automating key processes such as the issuance of Pension Clearance Certificates and benefits processing, while introducing a redesigned, technologically enabled Personal Pension Plan (PPP) to facilitate seamless onboarding of contributors.

“Just as artificial intelligence is transforming work patterns, Pension Revolution 2.0 is reshaping the retirement system—making it smarter, faster, and more responsive to contributors’ needs,” Oloworaran said.

She acknowledged LAWAN’s efforts at leading the conversation on the future of work, noting that such discourse is crucial to shaping a fair and inclusive labour ecosystem in Nigeria.

Oloworaran further commended media professionals for their dedication to workers’ welfare and their role in promoting awareness about pension reforms. According to her, PenCom regards the media as a vital partner in building a reliable, inclusive, and sustainable pension system for all Nigerians. She reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure that Nigerian workers are adequately equipped to navigate the AI-driven economy with confidence and security.

Also speaking, Olusoji Oluwole, president of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), called on trade unions to reinvent themselves in response to the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the global workforce, warning that failure to adapt could render unions obsolete.

In his paper, “Job security and the future of trade unions in the AI Era,” Oluwole described AI as a continuation of technological evolution that began decades ago, noting that it represents the “fourth industrial revolution.”

He observed that while AI presents opportunities for innovation and new skill creation, it also poses significant threats to job security, particularly in routine and low-skilled roles. “Before AI, the functions threatened were minimal, but today, almost every sector — including technology itself — faces job displacement,” he said.