By Grace Udofia

Abuja—The Head  of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita has urged civil servants in the country to embrace new skills that will help them manage the challenges of retirement in Nigeria.

Oyo-Ita spoke yesterday during the maiden edition of a stakeholders meeting organised by the Institute of Retirement Management, IRM, in Abuja.

According to her, “it is important to equip and empower pre and post retirees with knowledge and skills needed for a seamless adjustment from pay employment to the uncertainties and sometimes disillusionment associated with retirement.”

The HoS,   who was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Folayan Ayodele, said, if the wellbeing of the Nigerian workforce was to be guaranteed after retirement, the government and private sector must work together.

“I assure this institute that the federal government which I represent today stands ready to support you in any way possible, today and in the days ahead to ensure that its desires to provide robust and progressive outcomes for retirement management in Nigeria is achieved,” she added.

On his part, Chairman of the Institute, Alhaji Isa Bello, said the goal of IRM was to help improve the well being of men and women who had spent the better part of their lives serving their fatherland so that they could retire with skills and knowledge that would  facilitate their aging in comfort without growing   old.

He said, “Our programmes are professionally designed   and of strategic importance to organizations and individuals who have genuine concerns for fulfilling life after retirement. The Institute is Nigeria’s premier resource centre for effective and proactive retirement planning and management whose target members will include retired persons, public and private sector workers, students, fresh graduates and NYSC members who wish to start preparing for retirement early. The Institute will train them on capacity building, research and publication, entrepreneurship development and other forms of skills acquisition”, he said.