● Danladi Usman
Kaduna – The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the lives of retirees do not decline after their years of public service, with ongoing efforts aimed at providing sustainable post-retirement life.
Speaking during the 2024 pre-retirement training organized for retired and prospective retirees of federal parastatals in Kano, on Thursday, Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Ibrahim Dasuki, highlighted the Tinubu-led administration’s concern for retirees’ welfare. He emphasized that the training is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda to help retirees maintain their quality of life after leaving active service.
Dasuki noted that many retirees face challenges due to a lack of engagement or financial preparedness after retirement, making such pre-retirement training essential. He said, “The pre-retirement training programme for retiring officers of Federal Parastatals is one of the cardinal programmes of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, BPSR. The essence of the programme is to prepare the retiring officers to face the future and to also ensure that the quality of their lives does not depreciate.”
Reflecting on the challenges associated with retirement, he added, “It is known in the space of literature that retirement is a disaster. Now, this effort of the government is to solve, block and reduce the impact of that disaster of retirement on public servants. The most important exercise that an employee can embark upon is to prepare for retirement.”
Endorsing the initiative, Prof. Aliyu Abdullahi, an expert in pension management, lauded the government’s approach to preparing retirees for life after service. “This training is crucial, especially given the challenges retirees face in navigating life post-retirement. With the knowledge and skills provided here, many retirees will be able to transition smoothly into their new phase of life,” he said.
Similarly, Maryam Musa, a retired civil servant, commended the government’s foresight. “This initiative is a welcome development. Many of us never had the opportunity for such training, and we struggled after leaving the service. I believe this will go a long way in equipping prospective retirees to make better use of their benefits and lead fulfilling lives.”
Dasuki further stated that the training materials, provided in both handbook and workbook formats, were designed to serve as reference documents for the participants. “The materials for the training have been prepared in book form with two volumes: Handbook and Workbook. The Handbook has been designed in a way that it could serve as a reference document. Participants are therefore advised to make maximum use of it, both during the programme and as source material in the future.”
He revealed that the BPSR had selected 110 federal agencies for the initial phase of the program, covering less than 10% of prospective and current retirees, but added that plans are in place to expand the initiative.
Dasuki urged the participants to apply the lessons learned, ensuring that they not only overcome obstacles but also contribute to the nation’s growth and development. “We expect that at the end of this programme, participants would have learnt new thinking that would equip them to form a pool of knowledge and experience that could be easily tapped,” he said. GMTNewsng
