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To argue that Nigeria cannot afford policy inconsistencies that weaken its already fragile public health structure is not an exaggeration. The current disparity in retirement age between doctors and veterinary professionals is one such inconsistency, which requires urgent correction, not bureaucratic delays.
The federal government’s decision to approve a retirement age of 65 for certain healthcare professionals is, in principle, commendable. He recognized the need to maintain scarce skills in a critical sector. However, by excluding veterinary physicians and veterinary paraprofessionals – whether explicitly or by omission – the policy has created a dangerous gap that undermines both equity and national health security.
This is not simply a professional complaint; it is a structural flaw with far-reaching consequences.
At the heart of the issue is a contradiction that the government cannot ignore. For decades, Nigeria has maintained an equality framework that places doctors and veterinarians on equal footing in terms of salary structures and conditions of service. The Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) framework recognizes both professions as integral components of the larger healthcare ecosystem. However, when it comes to pension policy, this parity has been abruptly cast aside.
This inconsistency is indefensible.
Veterinary professionals are not peripheral players in the healthcare sector: they are central to it. In an era characterized by zoonotic threats, where most emerging infectious diseases originate from animals, excluding veterinarians from extended service is not only unfair but strategically ill-advised.
Nigeria has formally embraced the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal and environmental health systems. But politics must align with principles. It is contradictory to adopt One Health in theory and set aside in practice a key component of that framework.
Veterinarians are on the front lines of disease surveillance, epidemic prevention and biosecurity. They play a critical role in managing threats such as anthrax, rabies, avian influenza, Lassa fever and other zoonotic diseases that pose direct risks to human populations. Their contribution to safeguarding the nation’s livestock – estimated in the hundreds of millions – is equally vital to food security and economic stability.
Yet, at a time when their relevance has never been greater, politics is forcing them out prematurely.
The reality of the workforce makes this situation even more alarming. Nigeria is already grappling with a critical shortage of veterinary professionals. In some states, only a few veterinarians are available, while several local government areas have no veterinary presence at all. Forcing experienced professionals to retire at 60, while their medical colleagues remain in service until 65, will only exacerbate this crisis.
This is not a theoretical concern: it is an imminent risk.
The call for inclusion has already been made, clearly and responsibly, by the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development. Their position is based on logic, political precedent and national interest. They are not looking for special treatment; they ask for consistency.
The current circular, which limits the retirement age to 65 for clinical professionals in federal tertiary hospitals and excludes those in traditional civil service settings, is both administratively narrow and strategically flawed. It fails to account for the unique institutional location of veterinary professionals, who operate largely outside of hospital settings but are no less critical to national health outcomes.
Policy must reflect function, not simply location.
This is where decisive leadership becomes imperative. The responsibility now lies entirely with Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address this imbalance and restore coherence to Nigeria’s health policies and civil service.
A clear directive from the President to the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation can correct this anomaly. This directive should ensure that veterinary doctors and veterinary paraprofessionals are fully integrated into the 65-year pension framework, in line with existing equality policies and the realities of modern public health.
Anything less would signal a worrying disregard for an industry that plays a quiet but indispensable role in national stability.
It’s not just about fairness, but about foresight. Public health security is interconnected, and weakening one component inevitably weakens the entire system.
Nigeria is at a critical juncture, faced with complex health, food security and economic challenges. Hiring experienced veterinary professionals is not optional; it is essential.
The disparity must end, and it must end now.
Comrade James Ezema is a journalist, political strategist and public affairs analyst. He is the National President of the Association of Bloggers and Journalists Against Fake News (ABJFN), National Vice President (Investigation) of the Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ), and National President/Coordinator of Not Too Young To Perform (NTYTP), a national leadership development advocacy group. He can be contacted via email: jamesezema@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +234 8035823617.
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