Post Retirement and Welfare Challenges in Nigeria: Issues and Prospects

Today, pension management poses a major challenge to government, the active employees and retirees alike, in terms of contribution and payment. The totality of plans, procedures and legal process of separating funds and administering the fund as and when due, to meet the demands of workers on retirement is what makes for meaningful living of retirees. The fund separated and given to these categories of employees in lump sum is gratuity and the one given on installment basis is pension. The inability of organizations to fulfill this obligation to the employees that have used their productive age to serve in various capacities have made life after retirement miserable and undesirable for the affected workers. This study examined the various factors responsible for poor administration of retirement benefit, the pension schemes and its challenges, and identified strategies towards easing the challenges. The study adopted secondary data. It discovered that; government had put in place several pension scheme overtime, employers and employees themselves have part to play at retirement so that employees can look forward to retirement with excitement. It concluded that strict government regulations, retirement planning by both employer and employees will enhance post retirement welfare. It is recommended that government should engage in aggressive orientation of citizens on the need for retirement planning, employers should give employees early notification on retirement date, followed by regular reminder. Employees should embrace savings and investment culture, and desist from lavish lifestyle