The Lagos State Government has organised a capacity-building workshop for 400 local government officers nearing retirement to prepare them for a smooth transition from public service into post-service life.
The initiative, tagged the “2026 Pre-Retirement Sensitisation Workshop for Officers in the Unified Local Government Service”, took place at the Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium in the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
Organised by the Office of Local Government Establishments and Training, the event focused on the theme: “Retirement Ready: Ensuring a Seamless Transition from Service to Pension.”
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Welcoming participants, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Local Government Establishments and Training, Toyin Ogunlana, emphasised that retirement marks the beginning of a fresh life phase rather than the end of a career.
She noted that government engagements with outgoing personnel revealed widespread anxieties rooted in limited understanding of pension systems, personal finance, health management, emotional readjustment, and post-service career opportunities.
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According to Ogunlana, a primary driver of these difficulties is that many public servants postpone retirement preparation until their final years in office.
She explained that the workshop was specifically structured to offer actionable guidance on early financial planning, navigating pension procedures, healthcare management, and establishing sustainable post-retirement activities to guarantee long-term security and wellbeing.
To provide direct assistance, the workshop featured specialised training sessions: a retirement documentation masterclass focusing on “Essential Records Every Retiring Officer Must Have and Why Pension and Gratuity Payments Are Delayed and How to Avoid Common Pitfalls.”
Ogunlana also announced the integration of a dedicated “Retirement Documentation Clinic”, where participants received personalised, one-on-one evaluations of their personal records to identify and resolve missing documentation before their formal exit date.
Additionally, representatives from various Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and pension experts led interactive panel discussions to answer questions and clarify pension administration protocols.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Director-General of the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Babalola Obilana, the Head of LASPEC’s Technical Department, Morenike Makinde, praised the sustained annual program.
She advised retiring workers to study the operational mechanics of the Contributory Pension Scheme, ensure their documentation remains error-free, and maintain routine contact with their assigned PFAs to avoid disbursement delays.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Service Commission, Bukonla Durodola, urged participants to treat retirement as an opportunity for continued productivity.
She underscored that post-service comfort relies heavily on prudent financial management, ongoing learning, and deliberate choices made while still in active service.
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Similarly, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Kikelomo Bolarinwa, commended the administration’s focus on staff welfare.
She encouraged outgoing officers to make full use of the event’s resource experts and the documentation clinic to pave the way for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
