FG Orders MDAs to End Pre-Retirement Leave Practice
The Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to immediately end the long standing practice of placing civil servants on a so called mandatory three month pre retirement leave, declaring categorically that no such provision exists anywhere in the Public Service Rules.
The directive, contained in a circular issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson Jack, was addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies and other senior public sector administrators across the federation.
Titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre Retirement Activities,” the circular asserts that several MDAs have wrongly interpreted the retirement notice period as an automatic leave entitlement, resulting in the premature withdrawal of experienced officers from active service.
“The so called ‘mandatory three month pre retirement leave’ has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” Walson Jack stated.
According to the Head of Service, Rule 120243 establishes three distinct obligations: a three month notice requirement before the effective retirement date; attendance at a one month pre retirement workshop or seminar during the first month; and completion of pension documentation and service record reconciliation during 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 circular further clarified that retiring officers remain full public servants throughout the notice period and are expected to continue discharging their official duties.
“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 document stated.
Consequently, all MDAs have been instructed to stop compelling retiring officers to vacate their posts ahead of their official retirement dates. Permanent secretaries, directors general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies, and chief executives of government organisations have been ordered to bring the directive to staff attention and ensure strict compliance.
Nigeria’s federal civil service retirement framework is governed by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act. Civil servants retire upon attaining 60 years of age or after 35 years in service, whichever comes first. The reform is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants approaching retirement annually.
For decades, many MDAs treated the notice period as extended leave, often directing officers to stop reporting for duty once retirement notices were submitted. The practice contributed to manpower losses, knowledge gaps, and delays in pension processing, as officers disengaged before completing required documentation and verification.
Pre retirement seminars were originally introduced to ease the transition into post service life and streamline pension processing. However, inconsistent interpretation of the relevant Public Service Rules across MDAs entrenched the belief that officers were entitled to a compulsory three month absence from duty.
The government maintains that the corrected interpretation will improve service delivery, preserve institutional expertise, and ensure that retirement documentation is properly completed before officers formally exit service.