The Betrayed Worker -By John Chibuzo Emmanuel

History shows us that it is a human imperative to strive for means to ensure a secure future, even if not for the living generation, for the unborn. Different agricultural revolutions have sprung up to this effect. Great wars have been fought, masterpieces crafted, technological innovations have been explored as well as so many other intellectual and mechanical inventions that have continuously stretched the confines of human ingenuity.

Following the rise of marxism in the mid 19th century and the resulting conversations that evolved as a result of the new awareness of the modern worker about his immense contribution to the progress of the world and the advancement of humankind; a lot of favourable resolutions were reached and implemented by the government of the day. The legacies and implications of these resolutions still continue to shape labour unions, fiscal policies as well as political ideology in all continents round the globe. The pension scheme is one of these legacies.

Pension can be defined in various ways, but at its core, it simply refers to a payment made to an individual after retirement from active service in a particular profession. Its earliest manifestation can be traced back to Ancient Rome, where soldiers were paid stipends after years of active service, down to it’s first modern implementation, in 1889, following its  introduction in Germany by Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck.

Today, many pensioners (people who are eligible to collect pension) in Nigeria face significant hardships due to neglect by both the private and public sectors. Many workers are not paid pensions after retirement, and benefits are often insufficient. Also, delays in payment of pensions are common in the public sector, partly due to corruption and mismanagement of public funds by public officials. 80% of pensioners in Nigeria experienced a slashing of their monthly pensions without explanation in December 2023.

The tragic result is that each year, numerous pensioners go unpaid, leading to untold suffering, illness, grief and even death. Their families also bear the brunt of this neglect, with their well-being severely compromised and sometimes endangered.

Nigeria currently has an dynamic workforce: with 74.4% working in the private sector, while 25.6% work in the public sector. It also has a visionary youth, a diverse population and globally respected professionals. Yet, despite all these rare ‘gifts’ the country’s future remains uncertain at the moment.

It is tempting in occasions like these to lay the entire blame on our leaders. However, I strongly believe that one of the reasons Nigeria faces a lot of socio-economic ills and challenges is because of the neglect of its work force. This is a culture that is prevalent both in the public and private sectors.

Our statistics tells us that as of March 2025, total pension assets stood at N23.33 trillion, reflecting a 19% year-on-year increase. Another report adds that from March to May the figures grew to N24.12 million. Great news for the pension sector! However, anyone who is born in this country or has observed the trends ardently for sometime will quickly learn to identify the large chasm that exists between most things formally written and their actual, glaring reality. It is no news that the majority of Nigerian pensioners (and workers) are greatly suffering.

A nation that overlooks it’s workforce — it’s most powerful engine of technological and economic advancement — is a nation that is heading towards the path of self destruction. Securing the future of Nigerian workers requires more than just attending conferences, labor union meetings, or protests. It demands a deeper and widespread understanding of the importance of pension which should be followed by concrete actions aimed at addressing the challenges pensioners face.

Let us now consider some of the reasons why pensions matter to every Nigerian worker as well as to our nation’s future.

Firstly, pension provides financial security and well-being for pensioners. In a country with a history of jaw breaking inflation rates and an ever declining, insufficient renumeration scheme, it is quite difficult to envisage a secured future for the average worker or guarantee that skilled professionals would have sufficient reasons to ignore glittering international opportunities from other climes in a world that is becoming increasingly globalized.

Secondly, a quality pension scheme, as well as quality renumeration, can attract top talent to particular professions, while its absence can lead to a loss of skilled professionals in key sectors. This is particularly true for important professions like teaching, medical sciences and banking.

The teachers in a nation are supposed to be the brightest minds. This, however, is not the case in Nigeria. The education sector — because of its poor salary and pension skim — is currently experiencing a serious brain drain as the best minds from the younger generation are ‘migrating’ into other fields in order for them to avoid the tag ‘poor teacher’.

I  can’t see any secured future for a country whose teachers are not properly taken care of. Those with the expertise and passion will most likely give up and venture into ‘road side’ enterprises while quacks infiltrate and corrupt the educational sector with malpractice and mushroom ideas. The catastrophic failure of 2025 JAMB (One of the very few examinations that still sends shivers running down the spine of candidates) is a testament to the fact that the educational sector is really suffering from a huge loss of competent teachers. The cause of this national tragedy, if traced slowly, will inevitably fall on the poor renumeration and pension scheme available to teachers.

A proper pension scheme should matter to every Nigerian worker in the 21st century because it empowers pensioners and provides them with access to further their education and explore opportunities for personal growth. This will enable them to remain productive, try their hands at entrepreneurial ventures, and pursue artistic talents after retirement. Many retirees have discovered new passions as well as honed new talents after leaving their primary careers.

A well-structured pension scheme will also enable pensioners to support their children’s education and endeavours. This is a serious challenge for most pensioneers, presently; many of whom by virtue of their demanding jobs, marry and give birth to children late only to retire with a thin pension scheme to cater for their needs and that of their young children.

To buttress the above point, I will share my own story as a young university undergraduate. I have spent more than five years pursuing a four years degree course due to prolonged ASUU strikes, slow academic calendars and unbearably long holidays. I am currently in four hundred level and might sign out next year, hopefully. After this, am I will wait for my one year of service to my country. My actual service might take a year and some months — all things being equal. It is no longer news that resettling after one year of national service as a youth corps has proven to be quite difficult for a lot of Nigerian graduates — especially by those from low income backgrounds.

From my above illustration, we can arrive at the truth of the the matter: before one can properly settle down and start up a family, he or she may be already in his or her mid/late thirties (especially for males). Before one can secure a suitable job one may already be nearing the age of retirement. There are exceptions, however.

It is also vital to stress that pensioners (old people) make up a about 3.1% of our population and by implication often fall under the category of consumers/buyers. Prioritizing pension schemes can go along way in improving their purchasing power which in turn will be channeled into the manufacturing and agricultural sector via purchases. Improving the purchasing power of pensioners by increasing and securing their pension will be a win win for all as well as improve the growth of our primary and tertiary industries. This will inevitably lead to a more sustainable future for Nigerian workers, as well as enable them to contribute to the economy and society beyond their primary careers.

Let us also not forget that pension matters because it can save lives and improve the health of pensioners. Many Nigerian workers and pensioners die from preventable illnesses daily due to lack of financial resources for healthcare. An healthy pension scheme would address this issue, improve the standard of living of pensioners in Nigeria as well as ensure a healthy future for pensioners. With a reliable pension, pensioners will also be able to afford medical care as at when due. This will greatly reduce mortality rates as well as enhance the overall well-being of Nigerian pensioners.

Old age can be one of the most challenging phases of a person’s life. Stern parents find it difficult at this stage to enforce discipline physically because their children must have visibly outgrown them in physical size and strength. One of the mediums through which parents can ensure a healthy compliance from their adolescent wards is to have a stable source of income that can cater for their immediate. If parents fail in this regard, their wards may cite their failure as a reason to dabble into crime and all manner of social vices.  A proper pension scheme can help curb urban and rural crime, as well as other social vices such as prostitution, drug/substance abuse and illegal abortions, by supporting families and promoting self-sufficiency.

Financial stability is also linked to spiritual and moral well-being. It allows pensioners (at that volatile state in their lives) to focus on their relationship with God which will further enable them to cultivate a deeper understanding of their faith. An idle mind is a recipe for impending disaster both in the young and old. Consider the story of Nicolo Machiavelli who after exile/retirement from active political service in Florence became desperate to appease the royal Medici family of Florence because of his declining fortunes and desperation to return back to active political service. The result of this desperation is that he wrote a treatise titled The Prince which has long come to viewed as a ‘practical handbook for tyrants and oppressors’.

The pension scheme is very important to a Nigerian worker. I strongly believe that every committed worker is entitled to a pension. And till both our public and private sectors get to that extent or state of maturity where pension is no longer seen as a necessary evil but as an important effort to secure our collective future, as a nation; there might as well be no future worth anticipating.