A Nigerian man, Mohammed Zakari, has opened up about the challenges he faced since his retirement a year ago.
In a Facebook post on Monday, April 21, 2025, he revealed that some of his friends seemed to have drifted apart and won’t answer his calls.
He advised people approaching retirement to invest in connections and interests outside their work, as relationships built around professional life can be fragile.
“One year after my retirement, I faced unexpected challenges. One of the toughest was realizing that some friends seemed to drift away – they wouldn’t answer my calls, and it felt like our connections had changed. The absence of a structured work life not only affected my daily routine but also my sense of purpose and belonging,” he wrote.
“As I navigated this new chapter, I began to understand that relationships built around professional life can be fragile. Without the common thread of work, some friendships lost their momentum. It was a sobering experience, but it also taught me the importance of nurturing relationships beyond the workplace.
“To anyone approaching retirement, I’d advise investing time in building diverse connections and interests. This can help ease the transition and provide a sense of fulfillment in this new phase of life. Retirement may mark the end of a career, but it shouldn’t mean the end of purpose or connection.”
