By Bisi Bamishe
How to transition informal sector workers from “daily survival” to a life of “structured retirement” through insurance and pension instruments is the question experts will be providing answers to at the 2026 Inspenonline Retirement Summit holding tomorrow.
The summit, which is the third edition in the series, is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) House, Plot A2, Hakeem Balogun Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, starting at 9:00am prompt.
According to the Promoter of the summit, who is also the Publisher of Inspenonline, Chuks Udo Okonta, the event addresses a critical gap in Nigeria’s financial ecosystem: the vulnerability of the informal sector.
With over 90 per cent of the workforce operating outside formal structures, Okonta noted that the summit serves as a strategic roadmap to ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of their employment status, can retire with dignity and financial security.
He said the summit aims to bridge the financial inclusion gap by exploring how the Personal Pension Plan (PPP) and various Life Insurance products can be tailored to the irregular income streams of informal workers to ensure they save towards a comfortable life in retirement.
Dignitaries already lined up to brainstorm at the event include the Chairman of STI Leasing Limited, Tom Ogboi, who will preside as the Chairman of the event.
The Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Omosehin, and the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, are expected as the Special Guests of Honour.
The Keynote Address will be delivered by the Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, who will provide economic perspectives on integrating the informal sector into the national financial safety net.
Other prominent industry captains confirmed for the summit are: the Director-General, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mrs. Bola Odukale; Chief Executive Officer, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Anthonia Ifeanyi-Okoro; President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe; and the National President, Association of Registered Insurance Agents (ARIA), Mayowa Olatubosun.
A robust panel session has also been curated to dissect the practicalities of pension and insurance adoption for informal workers.
The paper discussants include: the National President, Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Dr. Femi Egbesola; Managing Director, Coronation Life Assurance Limited, Adebowale Adesona; Managing Director, Leadway Pensure Limited, Olusakin Labeodan; and the Chairperson, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Funmi Sessi.
