The Federal Government has abolished the long-standing practice of placing civil servants on mandatory pre-retirement leave, declaring that such a provision does not exist under the Public Service Rules.
The directive, issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, orders all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to immediately discontinue the widely adopted three-month terminal leave for officers approaching retirement.
In a circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” the government clarified that the three-month period before retirement is strictly a notice window—not an entitlement to leave.
Walson-Jack said the misinterpretation by several MDAs had led to the premature withdrawal of experienced officers from service, weakening manpower capacity across government institutions.
“The so-called mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” she stated.
According to the circular, retiring officers are only required to give three months’ notice ahead of their exit date, attend a one-month pre-retirement seminar, and utilise the remaining period to regularise their service records and pension documentation.
The Head of Service stressed that civil servants remain in active service throughout the notice period and must continue to perform their official duties unless formally excused.
“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before their effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular read in part.
She further explained that the rule does not exempt officers from work during the period, except when attending approved retirement workshops or when granted leave in line with existing regulations.
Consequently, all MDAs have been directed to ensure that retiring officers remain at their duty posts until their official exit dates while completing necessary documentation for pension processing.
The directive also mandates permanent secretaries, heads of agencies, and other top officials to circulate the new policy widely and enforce strict compliance.
The development is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants nearing retirement annually.
For decades, many government institutions had treated the notice period as an automatic leave, allowing workers to stop reporting for duty immediately after submitting retirement notices.
Officials believe the new policy will standardise the application of the Public Service Rules, prevent loss of skilled manpower, and improve service delivery by retaining experienced personnel until their formal disengagement.
Nigeria’s retirement system, governed by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act, requires civil servants to retire at 60 years of age or after 35 years in service, whichever comes first.
The government added that the clarification would also help address persistent challenges in pension processing by ensuring that officers complete necessary documentation while still actively engaged in service.
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