FG Abolishes Mandatory Three-Month Pre-Retirement Leave for Civil Servants
The Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to discontinue the practice of placing civil servants on a compulsory three-month pre-retirement leave.
The directive was issued in a circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities” and signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack.
Addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies and other senior government officials, the circular clarified that the Public Service Rules (PSR) do not provide for a mandatory three-month leave before retirement.
According to Walson-Jack, some MDAs had wrongly interpreted the three-month retirement notice period as a leave entitlement, leading to the premature withdrawal of officers from service before their official retirement dates.
She explained that Rule 120243 only requires officers approaching retirement to give a three-month notice, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to reconcile service records and complete pension documentation.
“The so-called mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” the circular stated, stressing that the notice period should not be treated as leave.
Walson-Jack noted that retiring officers are expected to remain in active service throughout the notice period, except when attending approved retirement programmes or when absent under existing leave provisions.
She further directed all MDAs to stop compelling officers due for retirement to vacate their offices before their official retirement dates.
Under the new directive, retiring civil servants will continue to perform their duties while participating in approved retirement activities and completing pension-related documentation.
The Head of Service said the clarification is aimed at ensuring a uniform application of the Public Service Rules across government institutions and preventing the premature loss of experienced personnel.
She also instructed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies and chief executives of government organisations to ensure strict compliance with the directive.
Under Nigeria’s public service retirement framework, officers are required to retire after 35 years of service or upon attaining the age of 60, whichever comes first.
The government expressed optimism that the policy clarification would improve service delivery by allowing retiring officers to continue contributing their expertise until their official exit from service while completing all necessary retirement processes.
