The Federal Government has officially abolished the long-standing practice of placing civil servants on a mandatory three-month terminal leave before retirement, declaring that the arrangement has no legal basis in the nation’s Public Service Rules. The directive, which takes immediate effect across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), is expected to significantly alter retirement procedures within the federal civil service and ensure that experienced officers remain actively engaged until their official retirement dates.
The decision was conveyed through a circular issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, and addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies and other senior government officials. The circular, titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” was issued following concerns that many government institutions had been misapplying the retirement notice provision by treating it as an automatic leave period.
According to the Head of Service, the Public Service Rule only requires officers approaching retirement to provide a three-month notice before their retirement date, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to complete pension-related documentation and reconcile service records. She clarified that the rule never granted retiring officers an entitlement to stay away from work for three months before leaving service. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
For years, many MDAs interpreted the notice period as a compulsory leave arrangement, resulting in officers vacating their positions months before their official retirement dates. This practice often led to the premature loss of experienced personnel and created operational gaps in various government institutions. The new directive seeks to eliminate those inconsistencies and establish a uniform interpretation of the retirement rules across the federal public service.
The government emphasized that retiring officers remain full-fledged public servants throughout the notice period and are expected to continue carrying out their official duties except when attending approved pre-retirement seminars or when granted leave under existing regulations. As a result, all ministries and agencies have been directed to stop compelling workers to leave their offices before their official retirement dates.
Officials believe the policy change will improve service delivery by ensuring that skilled and experienced workers continue contributing their expertise until the very end of their careers. The measure is also expected to strengthen institutional continuity, reduce manpower shortages and improve the processing of retirement benefits by ensuring that documentation is completed while officers remain in active service.
The circular further instructed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chief executives and heads of government agencies to communicate the new directive to all staff members and ensure strict compliance. The clarification is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants approaching retirement each year and marks one of the most significant adjustments to retirement administration in the Nigerian public service in recent years.
Under Nigeria’s existing public service framework, civil servants retire upon reaching the age of 60 or after completing 35 years of service, whichever comes first. With the latest directive, the Federal Government hopes to eliminate ambiguity surrounding retirement procedures while ensuring that public institutions continue to benefit from the knowledge and experience of officers until their final day in service.
