From “thank you for your service” to “welcome to your next hustle,” Lagos is making sure retirees don’t just fade out — they level up.

Here’s the gist: Lagos runs pre-retirement sensitization sessions and short entrepreneurship classes that teach business planning, money management, and practical vocational skills. Graduates — from groups of 100 to 700 retirees at a time — walk away with start-up packs and real tools to kick off small ventures. On top of that, the state has dished out billions in pension bonds — ₦1.004 billion to 465 retirees, ₦3.1 billion shared among 1,013 retirees, and another ₦1.52 billion to 798 retirees in different batches. Plus, an extra ₦2 billion has been channeled into other empowerment drives across the state.

This combo of skills + cash is working magic. Many retirees are now running mini businesses — from agro-processing to tailoring and trading — and even creating jobs for younger folks. Still, there’s room to grow. The number of beneficiaries is small compared to the huge retiree base, and the government hasn’t fully tracked long-term success rates or income growth. Mentorship and better market access could also take the impact to the next level.

Lagos is proving that life after service doesn’t have to mean slowing down — it can mean scaling up. With more monitoring, microcredit access, and wider reach, this empowerment model could make retirement the softest relaunch ever. And with that....

WE DON'T RECOMMEND OVER HERE, WE JUST SUGGEST

Written by The Gild Blog Team