Reducing Deaths Among Retirees: Nigeria’s Innovative Approach
In a bid to combat the alarming mortality rate among retirees, the Nigerian Federal Government has launched a training program to equip retired civil servants with skills for self-reliance. The program, which aims to reduce deaths among retirees, was revealed by Ibrahim Dasuki-Arabi, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, during the 2024 pre-retirement training program for retired and retiring officers of selected federal parastatals in the North-East region.
Dasuki-Arabi emphasized the importance of the training, stating that it is part of the eight priority areas of the President and Commander-in-Chief. He explained that the high mortality rate among retirees led to the development of the initiative, which aims to teach retirees new skills to enable them to contribute to society after exiting public service.
The training program, which is institutionalized for federal civil servants exiting the service, focuses on skills acquisition to ensure that retirees have something to do as they transition out of public service. Although the initial list of participants totals 10,000, due to financial constraints, only 600 can be trained. However, Dasuki-Arabi expressed hope that the program’s success will lead to additional funding to train another batch of retirees.
The Federal Government’s expectations from the training program are that participants will learn and take away what they have learned, and that a community of practice will be formed to monitor their progress. The government plans to revisit the program after one year to evaluate its effectiveness and ensure that retirees received value for the money spent.
Janet Ali-Kumo, a retired Chief Nursing Officer of the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, praised the government for the initiative, urging authorities to provide contract jobs to healthy and active pensioners. Tony Amaefule, a former Chief Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, College of Education Technical, shared his personal experience of preparing for retirement, emphasizing the importance of financial planning and investment in real estate.
The innovative approach by the Nigerian Federal Government aims to address the pressing issue of mortality among retirees, providing a vital lifeline for those exiting public service. As the program continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether it will indeed achieve its goal of reducing deaths among retirees and empowering them to contribute positively to society.
