Government says the long-standing practice has no basis in public service rules and has led to the premature loss of experienced personnel across ministries and agencies……
The Federal Government has abolished the practice of placing civil servants on a mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave, directing all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately stop withdrawing officers from active service before their official retirement dates.
The directive, issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, seeks to clarify what the government describes as a widespread misinterpretation of the Public Service Rules governing retirement procedures.
In a circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” Walson-Jack stated that the commonly observed practice of sending officers home three months before retirement is not supported by any provision of the Public Service Rules.
The circular was addressed to key government officials, including ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies and other senior public sector administrators.
According to the Head of Service, several government institutions have for years treated the mandatory three-month retirement notice period as an automatic leave entitlement, resulting in the early disengagement of officers who should still be carrying out their official duties.
She explained that Rule 120243 only requires public servants approaching retirement to provide three months’ notice before leaving service, attend an approved pre-retirement seminar during the first month and use the remaining period to process pension documentation and regularise service records.
“The three-month period is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular stated.
Walson-Jack emphasized that officers remain fully employed throughout the notice period and must continue to perform their assigned responsibilities unless they are participating in approved retirement workshops or have been granted leave under existing regulations.
She further noted that the rule does not excuse retiring officers from their duties simply because they have submitted retirement notices.
Under Nigeria’s public service regulations, federal civil servants retire upon attaining the age of 60 years or after completing 35 years of service, whichever comes first.
The latest directive is expected to standardise retirement procedures across government institutions and address manpower shortages created by the early withdrawal of experienced personnel.
Government officials believe the policy will help improve continuity within the civil service by ensuring that retiring officers continue contributing their expertise until their final day in office.
The circular also directed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chief executives and heads of statutory agencies to immediately communicate the new interpretation to all staff members and ensure strict compliance.
With the clarification, retiring officers will now remain at their duty posts throughout the three-month notice period while simultaneously attending approved retirement programmes and completing documentation required for pension processing.
The move effectively ends years of uncertainty surrounding the interpretation of the retirement rule and reinforces the government’s position that the notice period should serve as an administrative transition window rather than an automatic absence from work.
Officials say the measure will not only preserve institutional knowledge within the civil service but also help ensure smoother service delivery across ministries and government agencies until retiring officers formally exit the system.
