PREPARATIONS FOR RETIREMENT AMONG EDO STATE CIVIL SERVANTS IN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH EDUCATION

Abstract

Retirement is closely linked with old age or long term of service. Studies have documented delays in the payment of retirement benefits by employers thereby increasing the financial hardships experienced on retirement. Some state governments have recently retired civil servants while a few others have embarked on restructuring exercises to prune down the civil service workforce. The objective of this study is to document preparations made by Edo State Government teachers and other civil servants towards retirement. The study was descriptive and cross sectional in design. A simple random sampling was used to select 20 out of the 67 schools in Benin City for study. A proportionate followed by a systematic sampling method was used to select 264 workers from the ministries and 240 from the selected 20 secondary schools in make a total of 504 subjects. The questionnaire used for data collection was pre-tested and self-administered. Results showed that 242(47.8%) of the respondents were male and 264(52.2%) were females. Majority 470(92.9%) were Christians and 36(7.1%) were within the age range of 51-60 years. The mean year of service was 17.6 years (S.D. 6.86) while the mean salary grade level was 10 step 7. There is a significant relationship between age and owning a house (P<0.05) and between salary grade level and saving for retirement (P<0.05); the older in age, the more houses were owned and the higher the salary the more savings made for retirement. As far as financial preparations are concerned, findings showed that only 145(28.7%) of respondents operated special old age savings, 29(5.7%)

operated insurance, 159(31.4%) owned completed houses, 185 (36.6%) had vehicles and 222(43.9%) operated businesses. As part of social preparations for retirement, 462(91.3%) respondents engaged in leisure activities while 163(32.2%) were members of various social clubs. The reasons given by 170 out of the 361(71%) respondents who did not operate old age insurance included salary not being enough, 106(29.4%) 7(1.9%) and delayed payment of salary, 3(0.8%). A total of 422(83.4%) respondents indicated that a pre-retirement training workshop could assist workers to prepare for retirement and most expressed a desire to attend such training if it is made available. The result of this study shows that civil servants in Edo State are not financially prepared for retirement though most are socially prepared. Educational level more than salary predisposed to positive attitudes towards old age and retirement. It is recommended that training workshops and seminars on preparations for retirement be regularly conducted for civil servants.