For one of the first times, the African continent is trying to address its problem of retirees in a holistic manner.

Experts from several African countries, operating within the realm of the Inter-African Forum on social security began meeting in Yaounde yesterday to examine how best to address the issue given that successive policies have never really produced desired results; because retired Africans continue to live in abject poverty and discomfort mainly due to the inadequacy and inefficiency of retirement policies.

The Cameroonian example exemplifies the general African situation where many retired people cannot really sustain their new situations, hence their desire to continue working for as long as possible, even if simply to guarantee a decent life such as it was during the period of active life. But if living conditions were made more comfortable for those admitted into retirement, the fear retirement generates in many will certainly be reduced.

The objective of the current Yaounde conference, which ends tomorrow, is to deepen reflection on factors and constraints which threaten the financial viability of systems which address retirement systems within the countries of the Inter-African conference on  Social Security and to propose pertinent strategies for the reform of existing systems. What immediately comes to mind is the need to revisit the current systems, put in place at the time of independence and which have outgrown their usefulness because of new and numerous challenges.

For example, in many African countries, social security systems which address the plight of retirees are limited to civil servants or those working in the formal sector. But it is also known that very many people in Africa work within the informal sector. Just a few months ago, the Ministry of Labour in Cameroon was examining how to extend the social security system to these other numerous areas. This is an innovative approach which could set the basis for some initiatives towards changing this trend.

Examples can be taken from several African countries which have been able to expand the base of retirees who can benefit from social security cover. The wish is that the current conference should come up with recommendations that can initiate alternative solutions to what is happening now; otherwise the conference will just be another meeting among others that have held before.