BY CHIKA KWAMBA/OGORAMAKA AMOS/PERCY IDUBOR/JUDITH OBIANUA
Reality soon dawned on him. Life took a sour taste for Mr Lawrence Ogoegbulem after retiring from the Nigeria Police Force eight years ago as a superintendent of police. He could barely go by with his N47,000 monthly stipend which is insufficient to even take him to his village, Owa-Alero in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State.
Speaking to The Pointer, Mr Ogoegbulem said life as a retiree was the least desired. He recalled fond memories of when he was respected in society, at least for his rank and uniform. ‘’But today, my phone barely rings. When you are in service, those who call you are only attracted to your office. Once you retire, nobody remembers you’’
The retired police superintendent continued, ‘’It is even worse in your household. Your family tend not to recognise or even respect you. They alienate you once you are unable to fend or provide as you used to do before. If care is not taken, your wife can even instigate your children against you and you will become a stranger in your own house.
‘’Life after retirement is terrible and it is only God who sees us through. If you are unlucky to build a house before retirement, you are finished because your days are numbered on Earth. If you still have children in school after retirement, only God can help you. They keep telling us to plan for retirement but what are we expected to plan with? Once you retire in Nigeria, it’s as even they are just waiting for you to kick the bucket’’ he said.
While Ogoegbulem was more brute in his assertions, another retired chief superintendent of police, Ralph Uwadia, said life after retirement is fair to him. ‘’One of the things I enjoy is the free health services provided by the Delta State Government. Although the monthly take-home is too small, I argue it by doing other menial jobs like farming, and preparing herbs for some people’’
Mr Uwadia said he can cope with his N65,000 monthly stipend as he has just one child still in secondary school. ‘’The pension contribution did not start on time, we were almost 20 years in service before the government came up with that policy. The period of contribution was short and that is why the money is small’’ Mr Uwadia who retired in 2018 said.
In Nigeria, retirees are facing significant economic hardship, impacting their ability to meet basic needs and maintain a decent standard of living. Many are struggling with unpaid pensions, delayed payments, and inadequate retirement benefits, forcing them to adopt various coping mechanisms.
Inflation and the increasing cost of goods and services make it difficult for retirees to afford necessities. However, it appears that they too have adopted different ways of coping with the economic hardship in the country.
Explaining how he has been managing after retirement, Besiru Enakhimion said, “Talking of the survival of pensioners or retirees in the present economic hardship in the country, be informed that all pensioners are not the same. Their conditions and status differ. Some pensioners are landlords, some are tenants, some got other employments after retirement, some had the opportunity to travel overseas, and some have children based overseas.
“Two weeks after I retired from office, an older retiree who is a veteran journalist gave me a nice advice. He said the post-retirement period is not a time to be anxious. Not a time to dream about achieving much like building houses, buying expensive cars or living a flashy or expensive life. He said it is a time to accept life, the way one sees it.
“If a pensioner is not lazy or disabled, he or she can still survive. It might not be as rosy as it was when one was still in service or younger. For me, I am grateful to God that I am still healthy and not lazy too. At present, I am into agriculture on a low scale but will expand it when I become more financially strong.
‘’I have been into poultry, nursing of some agricultural items for sale. I have a small farm where I have been producing some food items for sale and consumption at home. I used to sell plantains from my farm but I have stopped that business temporarily for a reason. Sometimes I sell chickens from my poultry. If it were not for the level of insecurity in Edo State, I would have been cultivating a large farm.
“My business looks little but it has saved me from financial embarrassment. For instance, I made good sales from one of my agricultural products recently. In April the rainstorm pulled off a section of my roof. I put part of my proceeds into the repairs. The repairs were in hundreds of thousands. In addition, I am lucky to have a house of my own. Therefore I am not paying any rent. I even have a flat that is on rent’’ he said.
Another retiree, Joshua Edobor said, “For me, the quality of life you live after retirement is determined by your actions while in service. If you can affect lives positively and invest in your children, the economic hardship may not bite hard on you. Yes, it may not be as it used to be while in active service, but I have never for once put my hands on my jaws, thinking of where my next food will come from. In a nutshell, when you adequately plan for retirement, you don’t get stranded, regardless of how the situation of things is.’’
Another respondent, Mrs Jane Ezeomor says, “I limit my expenses and buy only what I cannot do without. I only go to places I can afford and not everywhere and anywhere I am invited. I maintain good hygiene and get rid of mosquitoes, flies and other insects that can cause diseases to avoid hospital bills. I go for food that I can afford.
‘’For example, I go for crayfish instead of fish. I make my garden to reduce my expenses. I make my Zobo drink and buy less minerals and other drinks. I buy Banga, cook it and make my Palm oil, dry the nutshell and make my palm kernel oil which I rub on the skin so I don’t buy cream. I also produce soap from it too. The leaves can also be grounded and used as dye and design to beautify clothes. I have just gone natural’’ he said.
Retirement is frequently portrayed as a time for relaxation, travel, and enjoying the fruits of decades of hard work. However, for many in Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s harsh economic realities have turned their golden years into a daily struggle for survival. Rising inflation, skyrocketing food prices, and delayed pension payments have left many retirees in financial distress.
Our correspondent in Port Harcourt explored the daily lives of retirees in Garden City and how they are navigating economic hardship. We spoke with four retirees who shared their experiences, challenges, and coping mechanisms.
A retired civil servant, Mr. Godwin Okechukwu, 68 simply said, “Pension delays make life unbearable.” Mr Okechukwu, who retired from the state civil service eight years ago, says irregular pension payments have left him in distress.
“I served for 35 years, expecting that my pension would sustain me, but the payments are irregular. Sometimes, I wait for months. My savings are exhausted, and I now rely on my children, who are also struggling. I’ve had to start a small poultry business to supplement my income, but feed prices are so high that profits are minimal.”
He lamented the lack of support systems for retirees, saying, “Home maintenance and sustainability is not easy. There are no schemes to help retirees or pensioners. I wish there were programmes to assist us.”
For Mrs Grace Ejekwu, 64, a Retired Teacher “From the classroom to petty trading”
After retiring as a secondary school teacher, Mrs. Ejekwu hoped to enjoy her later years in peace. However, inflation has forced her into petty trading.
“My pension is not enough to buy drugs, food, and pay bills. I now sell biscuits and soft drinks in front of my house. Pension payment isn’t enough—my children had to support me to open a small shop where I sell to at least make ends meet. It’s not much, but it helps.
‘’The worst part is the cost of healthcare—I can’t afford proper treatment for my arthritis. Many of my retired colleagues are in the same situation’’ she said, adding, “Drugs are really expensive. The money I get is just enough for foodstuff. If not for my children, I don’t know how I would have survived.”
According to Elder Emmanuel Briggs, 62, who is an Ex-Banker, “Farming to survive inflation” Elder Briggs, who worked in a commercial bank for over 30 years, says his pension is no longer sufficient due to inflation.
“I had to start a farm back in my village in Etche because life in Port Harcourt became too expensive. I now grow cassava and vegetables to feed myself and sell the surplus. If not for farming, I don’t know how I would cope.”
He called on the government to prioritize pensioners, saying, “There are no healthcare and welfare schemes for us. In some advanced countries, retirees are given allowances to help sustain them. But here, even if we get such support, the money won’t be enough because of the high cost of living.”
As Madam Comfort Woke, 67, a retired nurse puts it, “Children abroad are our Lifesavers” Madam Woke says she would have been in dire straits without support from her children living overseas.
“We keep adjusting and adjusting. Without our children, many of us would be dead by now. Thank God some of us are coping, but health-wise, it’s been tough. The cost of living in Nigeria is so high that survival requires a lot of money, which we simply don’t have.”
She added, “Without my children sending money, I wouldn’t be able to afford my medications or proper meals. Some of my friends who don’t have children abroad are suffering—some even have petty shops in the market selling things to survive. It’s painful after dedicating our lives to serving the nation.”
The stories of these retirees paint a grim picture of life after retirement in Nigeria. While some have turned to farming, trading, or relying on family support, many others are left without a safety net.
For now, retirees in Port Harcourt continue to adapt, demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity. However, without systemic changes, their struggles may only deepen as Nigeria’s economic challenges persist.
Speaking with anonymous in Asaba, she said what she is being paid in a month as a pension is not encouraging. ‘’Pensioners are suffering’’ she said, adding ‘’After two years of my retirement was when I received my first pension and I was like is this what I contributed for 35 years?
‘’What the government is paying pensioners is too small. While in service we thought they were saving our money but what is being paid is too small to take home to take care of ourselves and family. I cannot say whose fault it is; if it’s from the pension commission (PENCOM) or pension fund administrators. I had to call my colleagues when I first received mine to confirm if they received the same thing. I know of a colleague who refused to take hers as it is too small after all her dedication for 35 years.
‘’It is unfortunate that the country has gone this bad. Nobody cares for the other. People now use every opportunity they have to oppress others. It is so bad. If I had known things would end this way, I would have left the service on time. I know of a colleague who left the service before her retirement and set up a pure water factory. Today Preswin is everywhere in Asaba and its environs.
‘’We pleaded with her then when she was about to stay till retirement but she resigned, little did we know that she had a big plan. She is doing well today, better than those of us who worked till retirement.
‘’I appeal to the government to look into this issue, both federal and state level and do something considering the situation of Nigeria today. Some of us still have children in tertiary institutions, even in secondary schools’’ she said.
According to a retired Permanent Secretary in the Delta State Civil Service, Mr David Onokpe, he attributed his survival to the benevolence of God. “God has been faithful. He provides all I need. Also, I’m engaged with several activities, which have kept me going.’’
