By Faith Olayemi

UK-based Nigerian finance and governance consultant, Abidemi Agidee, has urged families to begin conversations around retirement much earlier, stressing that proper planning remains the strongest safeguard for stability, wellness and ageing with dignity. 

She made the call during the launch of her new book, The Retirement Blueprint: Your Plan for Wealth, Wellness and Wonder.

Agidee, who works with the UK Department for Education, said the book draws heavily from her personal experience, including the moment her son was diagnosed with stage-four cancer, an event she described as life-altering and a major reason for her renewed advocacy for financial preparedness.

According to her, she was preparing for a board meeting when the call came that her son had been rushed to A&E. Her former husband immediately took a three-month sabbatical, turning the family into a non-earning household overnight. 

She explained that they survived the period only because of a critical illness insurance policy that covered severe sickness for spouses and children.

Agidee said the pressures of the medical ordeal eventually led to the collapse of her marriage, compelling her to single-handedly shoulder major responsibilities. Despite this, she expressed gratitude that her son survived stage-four cancer, noting that doctors warned he could have died within 24 hours if treatment was delayed.

Speaking on the need for Nigerians to rethink retirement, she said many families avoid important discussions such as where they intend to live, how they hope to maintain their lifestyle, and what activities will sustain them when work is no longer central to life. She stressed that identity loss and depression are common among retirees because many people have no sense of self beyond their jobs.

She revealed that some of the groups she coaches are already developing a retirement-community model in which friends intentionally live within the same radius, support one another, and maintain shared social routines.

On concerns about Nigeria’s contributory pension scheme and cases of non-remittance by government and private employers, Agidee said stronger enforcement is necessary to restore public trust. She disclosed that she recently discussed the issue with directors at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), expressing hope that improvements in the system would encourage more participation.

Agidee also advised families not to rely solely on pensions, saying older generations survived through community-driven support systems that ensured the elderly were not abandoned. She said she hopes to research modern versions of such systems.

Responding to questions about future publications, the author said she may write a memoir detailing her divorce, co-parenting journey, and raising a non-verbal autistic son. She explained that although her marriage ended, she and her former husband maintain a productive co-parenting structure because of their son’s needs.

Agidee described the chapter on money anxiety and money dysmorphia as the most emotional part of the book, noting that her upbringing shaped her cautious financial outlook, while her former husband remained overly optimistic. She said confronting personal beliefs about “how much is enough” was one of her toughest writing challenges.

Earlier, the publisher, PurpleBloom Publishers, commended the book as a practical guide and journal for individuals struggling with retirement planning, urging Nigerians to get copies for themselves and loved ones.

Agidee concluded by encouraging Nigerians to begin retirement planning early, emphasising that the process goes beyond money and includes lifestyle, support systems and personal wellbeing.