1st April, 2025
Taiwo Ogunniyi
In a bid to ease the struggles of senior citizens, the Oluwafemi Oparinde Foundation has provided financial aid and free medical services to 1,000 retirees in Ilorin, reigniting the conversation on pension welfare in Nigeria.
The foundation’s Senior Citizens’ Support Programme underscores its commitment to ensuring retirees live with dignity after years of service to the nation.
Speaking at the event, the foundation’s founder, Oluwafemi Oparinde, emphasized the need for society to honour and care for its elderly population.
“Retirement should not be a sentence to hardship. These men and women dedicated their lives to building this nation, and it is only right that we support them in their twilight years,” he stated.
Since its establishment in 2020, the Oparinde Foundation has expanded its reach from COVID-19 relief efforts to initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, and social welfare. The latest outreach, Oparinde noted, reinforces the importance of collective responsibility in ensuring a compassionate society.
Guest speakers at the event, including Mallam Lukman Olayiwola Mustapha and Chief Iyiola Akogun Oyedepo, commended the initiative while urging the government to take pensioners’ welfare more seriously.
“Retirees should not be abandoned to fend for themselves. They need post-retirement training to remain productive, and above all, their gratuities should be paid promptly,” Akogun stressed.
Beneficiaries of the programme expressed gratitude for the intervention, calling on the government to improve pension payments and introduce stronger social support systems.
The event, attended by dignitaries and community leaders, further highlighted the need for better post-service welfare, with many advocating policies that guarantee retirees a dignified life.
