FG Abolishes Mandatory Three-Month Pre-Retirement Leave for Civil Servants

The Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately discontinue the practice of placing civil servants on a mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave, clarifying that no such provision exists in the Public Service Rules (PSR).

The directive was issued in a circular signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, and addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies, and other senior government officials.

In the circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” Walson-Jack said several MDAs had misinterpreted the rule by treating the mandatory three-month retirement notice period as an automatic leave of absence, resulting in the premature withdrawal of officers from active service.

She explained that Rule 120243 requires officers approaching retirement to provide three months’ notice of their intention to retire, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to reconcile service records and pension documentation.

According to the Head of Service, the rule does not grant retiring officers an entitlement to stay away from work during the notice period.

“The so-called mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” the circular stated.

Walson-Jack emphasized that officers remain in active service throughout the notice period and are expected to continue performing their official duties unless they are attending approved pre-retirement programmes or are otherwise absent under existing leave regulations.

She further noted that the notice period is intended to facilitate retirement preparations rather than serve as a period of disengagement from work.

Consequently, all MDAs have been instructed to stop directing retiring officers to vacate their posts before their official retirement dates.

Under the new directive, retiring officers are expected to continue discharging their responsibilities while participating in approved retirement seminars and completing all pension and personnel documentation before leaving service.

The circular also directed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies, and chief executives of government institutions to ensure strict compliance with the directive.

The clarification is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants who approach retirement annually.

For years, many government agencies interpreted the three-month notice requirement as an extended leave period, allowing officers to stop reporting for duty once retirement notices were submitted.

The Head of Service said the new interpretation is aimed at ensuring uniform application of the Public Service Rules across the federal civil service and preventing the loss of experienced manpower before official retirement dates.

The government believes the measure will improve service delivery by enabling retiring officers to continue contributing their expertise while finalising retirement and pension arrangements.

Nigeria’s retirement framework, governed by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act, requires civil servants to retire upon attaining 60 years of age or after 35 years of service, whichever comes first.

The latest directive seeks to end longstanding ambiguity surrounding retirement procedures and ensure that public officers remain productive until their official exit from service.