Sigma offers pension services to footballers

Sigma Pensions and the National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers (NANPF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer local and international professional footballers a safety net in their retirement.

The customized Scheme which is expected to commence from the 2020/2021 Football season and was signed by the President and the General Secretary, NANPF on behalf of the Union with the management of Sigma Pensions in Abuja recently.

In a statement, Sigma Pensions said the partnership was borne out of the need to enhance pension coverage across the working population stating that football has become a major source of employment for youths that have over the years not been catered for.

The MoU will cover local professional footballers playing in the domestic as well as international footballers in foreign leagues.

“This plan is for all professional footballers be they local or foreign based. As you are aware, the Cross-Border Arrangement Guideline of the National Pension Commission has made provision for people living outside Nigeria to have retirement plans at home.

“This arrangement is an opportunity for them to have a retirement plan such that after their active years, they would have a steady source of income that will guarantee them financial security in their old age.”

Sigma Pensions also said the initiative is inclusive of both male and female footballers and would cover all players in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), and Nigeria Women Football League (NWPFL) as well as international players.