Tinubu appoints Opeyemi Agbaje as Chairman of National Pension Commission

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Opeyemi Agbaje, a former Executive Director at Guaranty Trust Bank, as the new Chairman of the National Pension Commission (PenCom).

The move follows a seven-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which had threatened a nationwide strike if the federal government failed to reconstitute the commission’s governing board. The labour union has repeatedly criticised the prolonged vacancy, warning that it undermines transparency and accountability in the management of pension funds worth trillions of naira.

Agbaje, a seasoned finance, investment, and strategy professional, brings over 40 years of post-graduation experience spanning law, banking, finance, academia, and consulting.

Widely recognised as an expert in business, economy, and policy, he graduated with honours in law from the University of Ife in 1985 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986.

He later obtained a Master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the University of Lagos in 1989 and an MBA from IESE Business School, Spain in 1997. He is currently close to completing a Doctorate in Business Administration at Eaton Business School.

His career includes working with the law firm of Kola Awodein & Co (SAN), the legal department of First Bank of Nigeria Plc in the 1980s, and joining GTBank as a foundation staff in 1990, where he rose to the position of Assistant General Manager within eight years.

Agbaje’s appointment is expected to strengthen leadership at PenCom and address lingering concerns over the effective management of Nigeria’s pension assets.