By Philippine Duru

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08034905774

The Federal Government has launched the SOAR (Second Opportunity for Advancement and Reintegration) Initiative, a new programme designed to prepare retiring civil servants for life after active service through entrepreneurship, financial planning, skills development and post-retirement support.

The initiative, unveiled in Abuja, forms part of the government’s broader public service reform agenda aimed at improving the welfare of civil servants and ensuring that retirement marks the beginning of a productive new phase rather than a period of economic uncertainty.

Speaking at the launch, government officials said the SOAR Initiative was developed in response to the challenges many public servants face after retirement, including inadequate financial planning, limited alternative sources of income and difficulties adjusting to life outside the civil service.

According to the government, the programme seeks to equip workers approaching retirement with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to build sustainable livelihoods, manage retirement benefits effectively and contribute meaningfully to national development after leaving public service.

The initiative will provide pre-retirement training covering entrepreneurship, business management, financial literacy, investment planning, digital skills, health and wellness, legal issues and emotional preparedness for retirement.

Officials explained that participants would also receive guidance on pension administration, access to business advisory services and opportunities to connect with financial institutions and development partners that can support new ventures.

The Federal Government noted that retirement should not be viewed as the end of productive engagement but as an opportunity for experienced professionals to apply their knowledge in business, agriculture, consulting, mentoring, education and community development.

The programme is expected to leverage partnerships with relevant ministries, government agencies, financial institutions, private-sector organisations and training providers to deliver comprehensive support services tailored to the needs of retiring workers.

Government representatives stressed that a well-prepared retiree is better positioned to remain financially independent, maintain good health and continue contributing to economic growth through entrepreneurship and other productive activities.

They added that the SOAR Initiative aligns with ongoing reforms aimed at improving efficiency within the public service while strengthening the social and economic wellbeing of current and former civil servants.

Stakeholders at the event welcomed the programme, describing it as a timely intervention that could reduce the financial and psychological challenges often associated with retirement.

Labour representatives and public service experts called for the initiative to be implemented nationwide, with sustained funding and regular monitoring to ensure that beneficiaries receive practical support beyond classroom training.

They also recommended that retirement planning should begin several years before workers leave active service, allowing participants sufficient time to acquire new skills, develop business plans and build additional sources of income.

The launch of the SOAR Initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising human resource management in the public service and promoting a culture of proactive retirement planning.

If successfully implemented, the programme is expected to improve the quality of life of thousands of retiring civil servants, strengthen financial security among pensioners and encourage a more resilient and productive post-retirement workforce capable of contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

The Centre for Infrastructural and Technological Advancement for the Blind (CITAB) has criticized the newly launched National Special and Inclusive Basic Education Minimum Standards, Implementation Guidelines, and Functional Difficulty Early Identification Tool introduced by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), describing the initiative as another set of policy documents that fail to address the persistent exclusion of children with disabilities from schools across Nigeria.

The criticism was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos and signed by the Executive Chairman of CITAB, Comrade Jolomi George Fenemigho.

According to the organisation, although UBEC has presented the new standards as a significant step toward inclusive education, a framework based on voluntary compliance and weak supervision cannot guarantee meaningful access to education for children with disabilities.

CITAB argued that without legally binding obligations, independent inspections, and penalties for non-compliance, the standards risk becoming “a public relations achievement in Abuja” while children with disabilities continue to face discrimination in schools nationwide.

Fenemigho said Nigeria’s challenge is not the absence of policy documents but the lack of enforcement, accountability, and political commitment.

“Nigeria has never suffered from a scarcity of beautifully written policy documents. What we suffer from is an absolute lack of enforcement, accountability, and political will. Setting voluntary guidelines in Abuja while schools across Nigeria lock out disabled children is unacceptable. We need legally binding standards across both public and private sectors, backed by relentless annual inspections and severe penalties,” he said.

The organisation identified several shortcomings in the new framework, including the absence of a single enforceable national accessibility standard for schools, delays in accessing special education funds due to State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) failing to provide counterpart funding, and the lack of guaranteed provision of Braille materials, tactile learning aids, screen readers, mobility canes, and other assistive technologies despite the introduction of early identification tools for teachers.

CITAB also expressed concern over what it described as an internal monitoring structure, where UBEC supervises SUBEBs, which in turn oversee local education authorities. It warned that such an arrangement could conceal non-compliance rather than expose it.

The organisation called for Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to be formally integrated into the monitoring process to independently assess schools’ compliance with inclusive education standards.

Fenemigho further argued that the guidelines fail to define what genuine inclusion should look like in classrooms, insisting that children with disabilities should learn alongside their peers in accessible environments with trained teachers, inclusive learning materials, and accessible infrastructure such as ramps, toilets, and transport facilities.

“Identifying a visually impaired child without supplying Braille, audio, and digital tools merely logs their disability; it does not educate them. Equipping teachers with checklists while classrooms remain physically inaccessible and teachers are untrained is not inclusion; it is bureaucracy. Until accessibility guidelines carry the force of law, with immediate suspension awaiting any school that fails our children, these standards will remain paper promises,” he added.

The organisation urged the Federal Ministry of Education, UBEC, and State Ministries of Education to adopt a mandatory national accessibility standard for all public and private basic schools and to conduct annual inspections jointly with disability organisations.

It also called for sanctions, including the suspension of operating licences for schools that fail accessibility and inclusion requirements until necessary improvements are made.

Among its other recommendations, CITAB urged state governments to ring-fence funding for disability inclusion, ensure access to matching education funds, integrate disability inclusion and assistive technology into teacher education programmes, and publish annual disability-disaggregated data on enrolment, retention, and learning outcomes.

Fenemigho concluded by stressing that disability-led organisations, including CITAB, should play a central role in monitoring inclusive education across the country.

He said the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us” should be implemented as a binding national standard rather than treated as a slogan.

The Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has commended Yobe State Governor, Hon. (Dr.) Mai Mala Buni, CON, for his sustained investment in agriculture, describing the newly approved ₦28.531 billion 2026 Agricultural Empowerment Programme as a major step toward strengthening food security and stimulating economic growth in the state.

In a statement issued by its National President, Hon. Khalil Mohd Bello, the association praised Governor Buni for making agriculture a priority since assuming office on May 29, 2019.

According to KACRAN, one of the governor’s first major initiatives was the convening of an Agricultural Summit, followed by the inauguration of a high-powered committee of experts led by Professor Abba Gambo to develop strategies for transforming the agricultural sector.

The association said the committee’s recommendations laid the foundation for policies that have positioned Yobe among Nigeria’s leading food-producing states.

KACRAN further noted that the Buni administration has consistently allocated substantial resources to the Yobe State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, enabling the procurement of tractors, fertilizers, solar-powered irrigation pumps and other farming inputs, which were distributed to farmers either free of charge or at subsidized rates.

The association also commended the appointment of Hon. Ali Mustapha Goniri as Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, describing it as a strategic decision that has strengthened the implementation of the administration’s agricultural policies.

According to the statement, Goniri has demonstrated commitment, accessibility and dedication to ensuring that government interventions reach farmers and livestock rearers across the state.

KACRAN observed that with more than 70 percent of Yobe’s population dependent on agriculture, the state has continued to serve as a major supplier of food to other parts of Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.

It particularly applauded Governor Buni’s decision to reduce tractor hiring fees from ₦100,000 to ₦50,000 per day, saying the measure has made mechanized farming more affordable for smallholder farmers.

The association urged farmers in the state to take advantage of the government’s interventions by increasing food production and ensuring agricultural produce remains affordable for consumers.

“KACRAN, as one of the direct beneficiaries of these policies, urges all Yobe farmers to reciprocate this gesture by working hard to increase production and selling food at affordable rates. This is how Governor Buni’s vision of food security and economic prosperity will touch every household,” the statement said.

The association also called on the Federal Government, state governments and local government councils across the country to replicate Yobe’s model of investing heavily in agriculture through subsidized farm inputs and affordable mechanization to enhance national food security and boost economic growth.

KACRAN concluded by describing Governor Buni’s leadership as evidence that purposeful governance and strategic planning can deliver meaningful development to citizens, while wishing the administration continued success.