The federal government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to immediately discontinue the practice of placing civil servants on mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave, declaring that the arrangement is not recognised under the Public Service Rules.
The directive was issued through a circular signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, and addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies and other senior public officials.
In the circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” the Head of Service clarified that several MDAs had misinterpreted the retirement notice requirement as an automatic leave period, leading to the premature withdrawal of officers from active service before their official retirement dates.
According to the circular, Public Service Rule 120243 only requires officers approaching retirement to provide three months’ notice ahead of their exit date, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and utilise the remaining period to reconcile service records and pension documentation.
Walson-Jack stated that the widely practised “mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave” has no legal backing under the Public Service Rules.
She explained that the rule outlines three separate obligations, namely the submission of retirement notice, participation in pre-retirement seminars during the first month, and the completion of retirement-related administrative procedures within the remaining two months.
“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 stated.
The Head of Service further stressed that officers due for retirement remain full public servants throughout the notice period and are expected to continue carrying out their official responsibilities except when attending approved workshops or when granted leave in line with existing regulations.
“PSR 120243 does not exempt retiring officers from official duties during the notice period, except where they are attending an approved pre-retirement workshop or seminar, or are otherwise authorised to be absent under extant leave rules,” the circular added.
Consequently, all MDAs have been instructed to stop directing retiring officers to vacate their offices before their official retirement dates.
Under the new directive, government institutions are expected to ensure that officers nearing retirement continue discharging their duties while also participating in approved pre-retirement programmes and completing pension and service record documentation before leaving service.
The circular also directed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies and heads of government organisations to sensitise staff members and ensure full compliance with the directive.
The clarification is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants approaching retirement annually.
For many years, several MDAs treated the three-month notice period as an extended leave arrangement, often instructing officers to stop reporting for duty immediately after submitting retirement notices.
As a result, many workers spent the period away from service while awaiting retirement and pension processing.
The latest directive is aimed at standardising the implementation of the Public Service Rules across government institutions and preventing the loss of manpower resulting from the early disengagement of experienced officers.
The federal government believes the measure will also strengthen service delivery by ensuring that retiring officers continue contributing their expertise until their official exit dates while simultaneously completing documentation required for pension processing.
Nigeria’s federal civil service retirement system is regulated by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act, which stipulate that civil servants retire upon attaining 60 years of age or after 35 years in service, whichever comes first.
Over the years, delays in pension processing and discrepancies in personnel records have remained major concerns for retiring workers, prompting government efforts to encourage early verification and documentation of retirement records.
Pre-retirement seminars were introduced as part of those reforms to prepare officers for life after public service and guide them through pension documentation processes.
However, varying interpretations of the Public Service Rules across MDAs contributed to the widespread assumption that officers were entitled to compulsory three-month pre-retirement leave.
The latest circular seeks to remove that ambiguity by reaffirming that the three-month period is primarily intended for notice and administrative preparation, rather than automatic absence from official duties.
