Retiring Civil Servants Must Stay on Duty Until Exit Date, FG Rules

Retiring Civil Servants Must Stay on Duty Until Exit Date, FG Rules

The Federal Government has announced the immediate abolition of the widely practiced three-month pre-retirement leave for civil servants, directing all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure retiring officers remain at work until their official retirement dates.

The directive was issued through a circular signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who clarified that the practice, commonly referred to as terminal leave for civil servants, has no basis in the Public Service Rules.

According to the circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” many government institutions have for years misinterpreted the mandatory three-month retirement notice period as an automatic leave entitlement. This misunderstanding, the government said, has led to the premature withdrawal of experienced officers from active service before their official retirement dates.

Walson-Jack explained that Public Service Rule 120243 only requires retiring officers to provide three months’ notice before retirement, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and utilize the remaining period to reconcile service records and pension documentation.

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

She emphasized that the rule establishes a notice requirement rather than a leave entitlement and does not exempt retiring officers from performing their official responsibilities during the notice period.

Under the clarified interpretation, officers approaching retirement are expected to continue reporting for duty and carrying out their assignments except when attending approved pre-retirement programmes or when otherwise authorized to be absent under existing leave regulations.

The circular further directed all MDAs, including ministries, agencies, parastatals and government institutions, to immediately stop requiring officers due for retirement to vacate their offices before their official exit dates.

The Head of Service noted that retiring officers remain employees of the Federal Government throughout the three-month notice period and must continue contributing to government operations while completing retirement-related administrative processes.

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The latest directive is expected to significantly affect the Federal Civil Service, where the practice of sending retiring officers home months before retirement has become widespread over the years.

In many MDAs, workers who submitted retirement notices were routinely relieved of their duties and allowed to remain away from work while awaiting pension processing and retirement formalities. The government now says such a practice is inconsistent with existing regulations.

Officials believe the policy change will help improve workforce efficiency and ensure that experienced personnel continue providing institutional knowledge and expertise until their final day in service.

The Federal Government also views the directive as part of broader efforts to strengthen public service reforms in Nigeria and standardize the implementation of the Public Service Rules across all government institutions.

The clarification comes amid ongoing reforms targeted at improving retirement benefits and pension administration within the public service.

Earlier this year, the Federal Government approved a 100 percent gratuity-based exit benefit for retiring federal civil servants under the Contributory Pension Scheme, a move aimed at enhancing retirement welfare and reducing financial hardship after service.

The government has also intensified verification exercises for treasury-funded civil servants employed before June 30, 2004, to ensure accurate pension records and facilitate seamless payment of retirement benefits.

Nigeria’s retirement framework for public servants is governed by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act. Under current regulations, civil servants retire upon attaining the age of 60 years or after completing 35 years in service, whichever comes first.

For years, delays in pension processing, discrepancies in personnel records and varying interpretations of retirement procedures across MDAs have created confusion for workers approaching retirement.

To address these challenges, pre-retirement seminars were introduced to educate officers on pension procedures, retirement planning and life after public service. However, many agencies gradually began treating the three-month notice period as a form of compulsory leave, a practice the government has now formally discontinued.

With the new directive, authorities hope to eliminate ambiguity surrounding civil service retirement rules, improve compliance across MDAs and ensure retiring officers remain productive while completing retirement documentation and pension-related processes.

The Federal Government maintains that the reform will enhance service delivery, preserve institutional capacity and ensure uniform application of retirement regulations throughout the public service.

Retiring Civil Servants Must Stay on Duty Until Exit Date, FG Rules