The Federal Government has directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to stop the practice of placing civil servants on what is commonly described as a mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave, stating that such a provision does not exist in the Public Service Rules (PSR).
The directive was contained in a circular issued 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 government officials.
In the circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” the Head of Service said some MDAs had misinterpreted the retirement notice period as an automatic leave entitlement, leading to the premature disengagement of officers from active service.
According to her, the PSR only requires officers approaching retirement to give three months’ notice, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to complete documentation relating to pensions and service records.
“The so-called ‘mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave’ has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” Walson-Jack said.
She explained that Rule 120243 establishes three key obligations: a notice requirement, attendance at a pre-retirement seminar during the first month, and completion of administrative processes in the remaining period.
“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before the effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular stated.
The Head of Service stressed that officers due for retirement remain in active service during the notice period and are expected to continue performing their official duties, except when attending approved pre-retirement programmes or when formally granted leave under existing regulations.
“PSR 120243 does not exempt retiring officers from official duties during the notice period, except where they are attending approved seminars or otherwise authorised under extant leave rules,” the circular added.
Consequently, MDAs have been directed to stop compelling retiring officers to vacate their posts before their official retirement dates.
Under the new directive, ministries and agencies are required to ensure that retiring officers continue to perform their duties, attend approved pre-retirement programmes, and complete all pension-related documentation before exit from service.
The circular also instructed permanent secretaries, directors-general, chief executives, and chairpersons of statutory agencies to circulate the directive and ensure strict compliance.
The clarification is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants approaching retirement annually.
For years, many MDAs treated the retirement notice period as a form of compulsory leave, often instructing officers to stop reporting for duty once they submitted retirement notices. In practice, this led to early withdrawal from service while pension documentation was being processed.
The Head of Service said the new directive is aimed at standardising implementation of the Public Service Rules, preventing loss of manpower, and ensuring that experienced officers remain productive until their official exit dates.
Nigeria’s federal civil service retirement system is governed by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act. Civil servants retire upon reaching 60 years of age or after 35 years in service, whichever comes first.
Over the years, delays in pension processing and inconsistencies in personnel records have remained major challenges for retiring workers, prompting reforms aimed at encouraging early documentation and verification.
To address these issues, pre-retirement seminars were introduced to prepare officers for retirement and guide them through pension procedures. However, inconsistent interpretation of the rules across MDAs led to the widespread assumption that officers were entitled to a compulsory three-month pre-retirement leave.
The latest circular clarifies that the three-month period is strictly a notice and administrative preparation window, not a period of automatic absence from duty.
