No more pre-retirement leave, FG tells civil servants

The federal government has abolished the long-standing practice of placing civil servants on compulsory leave before retirement, declaring that such a provision does not exist under the Civil Service Rules.

The directive, issued by the Federation’s head of the Civil Service, Didi Walson-Jack, orders all ministries, departments and agencies to immediately end the widely adopted three-month terminal leave for civil servants nearing 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 vacation.

Walson-Jack said misinterpretation by several MDAs has led to the premature retirement of experienced officers from service, weakening manpower capacity in government institutions.

“The so-called mandatory leave of three months before retirement has no basis in public service rules,” he said.

According to the circular, retired officials are required to give only three months’ notice before their exit date, attend a one-month pre-retirement seminar and use the remaining period to regularize their service records and pension documentation.

The Head of Service emphasized that civil servants remain on active duty throughout their notice period and must continue to perform their official duties unless formally dispensed.

“A retired officer must give three months’ notice prior to the effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular reads in part.

He further explained that the rule does not exempt officials from work during the period, except when they attend approved retirement seminars or when they are granted leave in line with existing regulations.

Accordingly, all MDAs have been asked to ensure that retired officials remain in their jobs until their official exit dates by completing the necessary documentation for pension processing.

The directive also mandates permanent secretaries, agency heads and other senior officials to widely disseminate the new policy and enforce strict compliance.

The development is expected to affect thousands of federal public employees nearing retirement each year.

For decades, many government institutions have treated the notice period as an automatic leave of absence, allowing workers to stop reporting for duty immediately after submitting their retirement notice.

Officials believe the new policy will standardize the application of public service rules, prevent the loss of skilled manpower and improve service delivery by retaining experienced staff until they are formally retired.

Nigeria’s pension system, governed by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act, requires public employees to retire at the age of 60 or after 35 years of service, whichever comes first.

The government added that the clarification would also help address persistent challenges in pension processing by ensuring that officials complete the necessary documentation while still actively engaged in service.

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