A new study has revealed that 96% of Ghanaian retirees are willing to continue working beyond the mandatory retirement age, highlighting the growing interest among pensioners to remain productive and contribute to Ghana’s economic development.
The study, conducted by the Centre for Retired Experts (CREX) in February 2026, examined how retired professionals across Ghana could continue using their skills and experience after leaving formal employment.
The research involved 559 pensioners and assessed their willingness, motivations and capacity to engage in productive activities after retirement.
Ghana retirees want to remain productive
Speaking at a research dissemination seminar at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Dr Adam Salifu, a UPSA lecturer and co-researcher, said the findings showed that the main challenge was not retirees’ willingness to work but the absence of an effective system to connect them with opportunities.
According to the study, almost all respondents were willing to mentor young professionals, while approximately 88% were prepared to work as advisers or board members.
The research also found that about 98% of retirees would register on a structured platform designed to connect experienced pensioners with organisations requiring their expertise. However, about 93% said they were unaware of any existing platform providing such opportunities.
Dr Salifu explained that Ghana could benefit significantly from the experience of retired professionals if a proper coordination mechanism was established.
“The problem is about coordination and not willingness,” he said.
Majority want retirement age extended
The study further revealed that more than 50% of respondents preferred Ghana’s retirement age to be extended to 65 years or beyond.
The findings suggest that a significant number of retirees consider the current mandatory retirement age of 60 years too early, particularly given their continued physical, mental and professional capacity.
About 86% of respondents rejected the view that retirement had reduced their usefulness to society, while approximately 87% continued to regard themselves as valuable contributors to national development.
In addition, around 97% agreed that there is a gap between the expertise of retirees and the systems available to engage them in productive activities.
Retirees offer valuable skills for national development
The study found that more than 95% of respondents reported stable physical and mental well-being. However, researchers noted that good physical and mental health did not necessarily translate into financial security for retirees.
Only about one in five pensioners remained professionally active after retirement, while many others focused mainly on religious activities, community work, social engagements and family responsibilities.
Interestingly, financial income was not the main reason retirees wanted to remain active. Most respondents were more interested in staying mentally engaged, sharing their experience and contributing to Ghana’s development.
Income supplementation accounted for only about 14% of the motivations identified by the respondents.
Governance and education among preferred sectors
Governance and development activities emerged as the most preferred areas for post-retirement engagement, attracting approximately 21% of respondents each.
Business and education followed, while agriculture and health recorded relatively lower levels of interest.
Dr Salifu attributed the lower preference for agriculture partly to the sector’s labour-intensive nature and limited mechanisation. He also noted that the relatively low interest in health-related activities could have been influenced by the composition of the research sample.
Retirees willing to volunteer across Ghana
The research also highlighted the availability of retired professionals to support national programmes and community development initiatives.
Approximately 98% of respondents said they were willing to volunteer if transportation and meals were provided.
More than 84% said they could commit between one and four hours per day, while over 90% indicated that they could work between one and four days each week.
The study further showed that around 90% were willing to mentor young professionals, 88% were ready to serve as advisers, and approximately 98% were willing to work in rural and deprived communities.
Ghana could tap into retired professionals
Dr Salifu said the findings demonstrated that Ghana has a significant pool of experienced human capital that could support national development if the right institutional structures were introduced.
He argued that retired professionals could play important roles in mentorship, leadership, governance, education, business development and community development.
The research therefore points to the need for policymakers, employers and institutions to develop structured programmes that allow pensioners to continue contributing to the economy without necessarily returning to full-time employment.
The seminar also marked the launch of a broader national initiative aimed at redefining retirement in Ghana. The initiative seeks to move away from viewing retirement as the end of a professional career and instead promote it as a period of leadership, mentorship, knowledge transfer and continued contribution to national development.
Source: newsthemegh.com