The study investigated the Nigerian Pension reforms and management as veritable strategies of rewarding past intellectuals towards sustainable development in the third world. The main aim of the study was to determine the influence of pension reforms on the welfare of the retired civil servants in Nigeria with particular reference to Cross River State. In order to achieve the objective; direct and guide the study; three research questions were formulated and developed into hypotheses. Data for the study were collected with the use of structured questionnaire. Data obtained were analyzed using simple percentage and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. Results and findings revealed that there exists a significant relationship between pension reforms and the welfare of the Pensioners. Also, a significant relationship exists between workers’ ability to save while working and their welfare when retired. Moreover a significant relationship exists between pension reform objective of ensuring that pensioners do not suffer by removing all cumbersome processes of pension payment and the welfare of pensioners. Based on the findings, it was recommended amongst others that the state government should always demand for periodic briefs as frequently as possible to aid in the assessment of the progress of the pension reform scheme and also ensure the achievement of the scheme’s objectives in a bid to ensuring sustainable development.