Igo Weli and Imeh Okon call for deliberate financial, psychological and professional preparation as Renaissance and PSIN expand retirement and oil and gas capacity-building programmes.
Retirement should be seen as a new phase of opportunity, personal development and continued service to society rather than the end of a productive career, the Vice President, Relations and Sustainable Development at Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Igo Weli, has said.
Weli made the call at a pre-retirement seminar organised by Renaissance in partnership with the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) for public servants approaching retirement in Abuja.
The programme was designed to equip participants with practical knowledge for life after active service, with sessions covering psychological adjustment, legacy planning, pension systems, public sector benefits, financial management, post-retirement business opportunities, exit planning and healthcare options.
Addressing participants, Weli acknowledged the contributions of public servants to Nigeria’s development, describing the public service as a critical institution through which government policies are translated into tangible outcomes for citizens.
He said the achievements of organisations across different sectors, including oil and gas, were supported by the work of civil servants in ministries, departments and agencies.
“Today is a celebration of your years of service and contribution to nation-building,” Weli said, noting that the impact of public servants extended beyond their offices to the wider growth and development of the country.
According to him, the work of public officials helps create the conditions necessary for organisations such as Renaissance to operate, grow and contribute to the economy.
Retirement Offers Opportunities for a New Beginning
Weli encouraged participants to approach retirement with optimism, confidence and a willingness to explore new opportunities, stressing that leaving active service does not diminish an individual’s ability to contribute meaningfully to society.
He urged the retiring officers to apply the experience, knowledge and professional relationships accumulated during their careers to new pursuits, including entrepreneurship, mentoring, consultancy and community service.
“Retirement is not an ending; it is the beginning of a new chapter,” he said, adding that the transition offered opportunities for individuals to pursue meaningful activities beyond formal employment.
He advised participants not to become discouraged by the prospect of leaving active service, emphasising that their capacity to make a difference would remain relevant after retirement.
Weli also reaffirmed Renaissance’s commitment to the partnership with PSIN, expressing the company’s readiness to support improvements and strengthen future editions of the pre-retirement programme.
PSIN Stresses the Need for Early Preparation
The Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Barrister Imeh Okon, also highlighted the importance of preparing adequately for retirement.
Okon described retirement as an inevitable stage in every worker’s life that requires deliberate planning beyond financial considerations.
She said prospective retirees needed to prepare psychologically, socially and professionally to manage the transition successfully and maintain a sense of purpose after leaving the workforce.
According to her, the seminar was developed to provide participants with the knowledge, skills and perspectives needed to approach retirement with confidence and dignity.
“Our goal is to help retiring officers view retirement not as a period of decline, but as an opportunity for renewal, reinvention and continued relevance,” she said.
Okon commended Renaissance for collaborating with the institute to support public servants as they prepare for life after government service.
Renaissance and PSIN Expand Oil and Gas Capacity-Building Initiative
The pre-retirement seminar was held alongside the second batch of the Oil and Gas Seminar for Senior Government Officials, another joint initiative by Renaissance and PSIN.
The programme seeks to deepen government officials’ understanding of the oil and gas industry, its operations and its contribution to Nigeria’s economy.
The second batch took place on October 6 and 7, following the inaugural edition held in June 2026.
Speaking at the opening session, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited’s General Manager, Business Relations, Mr. Enobong Ekanem, said the expansion of the programme followed feedback received from participants at earlier engagements.
He explained that the organisers had taken the feedback into account in designing the latest session to reach officials across additional levels of the civil service.
“We listened to feedback from a previous engagement and that is why we organised this programme for other levels of the civil service,” Ekanem said.
He highlighted the relationship between public sector responsibilities and oil production, noting that government policies and the work of ministries, departments and agencies influence the operating environment for the industry.
“The policies of the Federal Government, implemented by persons and ministries, departments and agencies represented here, have aided Renaissance to ramp up production,” he said.
Ekanem added that the programme would help participants understand how their responsibilities within government contribute to the processes that support oil production in Nigeria.
Describing the public service as the engine room of the nation, he stressed that the effectiveness of government institutions remained important to national development and the performance of strategic economic sectors such as oil and gas.
Building Capacity for Service and Life Beyond Retirement
The two Renaissance-PSIN programmes reflect complementary aspects of public sector development: strengthening officials’ understanding of the oil and gas industry while helping workers prepare for the transition out of active service.
For participants approaching retirement, the pre-retirement seminar focused on equipping them with practical tools for financial planning, personal adjustment and identifying productive opportunities after government employment.
The oil and gas programme, meanwhile, sought to improve participants’ understanding of the industry and the relationship between public policy, government administration and energy-sector performance.
Through the partnership, Renaissance and PSIN reiterated the importance of knowledge-sharing, capacity development and sustained contributions by public servants at different stages of their careers.
