Retirement Without Regret: Why public servants must build beyond salary, by Musa Mohammed, m.hcd, fiim
A few weeks ago, I came across a short poem that struck a deep chord in me. It told the story of a man who gave 35 years of his life to public service. At his retirement, there was music, speeches, and glowing tributes to his loyalty and integrity. His colleagues called him “a man of honor,” and everyone applauded the decades he had given.
But when the celebration ended, the applause faded, and the hall emptied, he went home to silence. In his hands was an envelope, his gratuity. Enough to clear some debts and maybe fix the leaking roof, but not enough to guarantee a dignified life after service. No house in his name. No thriving business. No investments. Just years of hard work, celebrated today and forgotten tomorrow.
Sadly, this is not fiction. It is the story of millions of Nigerians who give their most productive years to government or corporate institutions, only to retire into financial dependency, sometimes on their children, sometimes on relatives, and sometimes on the very working class they once led.
As a Human Capital Development and Demographic Dividend expert, I believe there is a critical lesson here: hard work in the public service is not enough; parallel investment in self-sufficiency is essential.
The Trap of Salary Dependence
Many of us were raised to believe that salary is security. That if we remain loyal, “the system” will take care of us. But the truth is harsh. Salary gives you stability only in the short term; it does not guarantee sustainability in the long term.
Inflation, unstable pensions, and the rising cost of living have taught us that depending solely on a monthly salary is like building a house on sand, it cannot withstand the storms of economic reality.
This is why financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and long-term planning are no longer luxuries; they are necessities.
Skill Today, Security Tomorrow:
The good news is that Nigeria is not short of opportunities. Public servants and professionals can, and should, develop skills and engage in productive ventures alongside their routine service. This is not about abandoning duty or creating conflict of interest, but about being intentional in preparing for a future of dignity and independence.
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Too often, people depend solely on their salaries, only to find themselves vulnerable when their service years end. But those who deliberately build skills, assets, and alternative legitimate income streams position themselves for freedom, stability, and even generational wealth.
• Farming and Livestock Rearing: Agriculture remains a powerful, underutilised opportunity. Farming and livestock rearing not only provide food security but also create steady income. From crop cultivation to cattle, goats, or poultry, these ventures are practical, scalable, and deeply rewarding.
• Build Skills That Pay Beyond Service: Learn and apply new skills – consulting, ICT, training, writing, agriculture, crafts, or other professional services, that create income beyond government employment.
These skills not only open new doors during service years but also become powerful safety nets afterward.
• Invest in Land and Property: Land remains one of the most reliable wealth builders. What costs the price of a new phone today could grow into generational wealth tomorrow. Early and strategic investments in land and housing secure long-term financial independence.
• Start Small But Scalable Businesses: A poultry farm, a bakery, or a retail outlet may seem modest at the start, but such ventures create sustainable income streams. They can run quietly in the background while you focus on your primary duties, yet keep paying when the salary stops.
The Bottom Line:
The truth is simple, the skill you build today will protect you tomorrow. When service years end, it is the assets and competencies you nurtured on the side that will ensure you don’t retire into regret but into reward.
Think about it, a teacher who develops ICT skills can become a private trainer after retirement. A civil servant who plants 200 cashew trees today will have a silent business partner in 15 years. A nurse who invests in small rental property will enjoy steady income even when her salary stops.
Human Capital and Demographic Dividend Implications:
Nigeria has one of the world’s youngest populations. This “youth bulge” is either a blessing (if properly harnessed) or a ticking time bomb (if left unmanaged). Unlocking the demographic dividend requires not only creating jobs but also reducing the number of dependents each working adult must support.
If today’s workforce fails to prepare for life beyond salaries, tomorrow’s retirees will become an additional load on an already stretched working-age population. Instead of mentoring the next generation, many retirees will become financially dependent on them.
This is not just a personal tragedy, it is a national challenge. A country where retirees cannot sustain themselves faces a double burden:
• An overstrained youth population struggling to support themselves and their families, while also caring for parents and retired relatives.
• A cycle of poverty and dependency that undermines productivity and prevents economic growth.
In contrast, when public servants build assets, develop transferable skills, and retire into self-sufficiency, they ease the pressure on the younger generation. They also become mentors, investors, and role models – contributing to national development long after they leave formal service.
A Call to Action:
We must shift our culture:
• Stop clapping only for long service. Start celebrating asset creation.
• Stop waiting for salary increases. Start creating legitimate income streams.
• Stop blaming the economy. Start learning the rules of money.
• Stop thinking retirement is the end. Start preparing for it as a season of contribution.
Public servants must understand that retirement is not a tragedy waiting to happen; it can be a reward for foresight.
Let us work hard in service, yes, but let us also work smart for the future. When the applause fades, what will remain is not the years of service you gave, but the legacy and assets you built.
Because the day you retire, no one will ask how many memos you wrote or how many years you stayed. They will only ask: “What did you build?
Therefore, “What you build today – whether skill, land, or enterprise—becomes the shield that protects your tomorrow”.
Musa Mohammed is a Human Capital Development and Demographic Dividend Expert. He writes from Damaturu, Yobe State.
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