The Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to stop the practice of placing civil servants on compulsory three-month pre-retirement leave, clarifying that such a provision is not recognised under the Public Service Rules.
The directive was issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, in a circular addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of government agencies, service chiefs and other senior public officials.
According to the circular, several MDAs have been incorrectly interpreting the three-month retirement notice period as a mandatory leave, leading to the premature withdrawal of officers from active service before their official retirement dates.
Walson-Jack explained that Public Service Rule 120243 only requires officers approaching retirement to give three months’ notice, participate in a one-month pre-retirement seminar, and use the remaining period to complete documentation related to pension processing and service records.
She stressed that the notice period should not be mistaken for a leave entitlement, noting that retiring officers remain employees of the government and are expected to continue performing their duties throughout the period.
“The so-called mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” the circular stated.
The Head of Service further clarified that officers may only be absent from work while attending approved pre-retirement workshops or when granted leave under existing regulations.
As a result, all federal MDAs have been instructed to allow retiring officers to remain at their duty posts until their official retirement dates while simultaneously completing required administrative procedures.
The circular also directed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chief executives and heads of statutory agencies to ensure that all staff members are informed of the clarification and that the directive is fully implemented.
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The latest move is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants nearing retirement and is aimed at standardising the interpretation of retirement procedures across government institutions.
For years, many government agencies had treated the retirement notice period as a form of terminal leave, often requiring officers to stop reporting for duty once they submitted their retirement notices.
The Federal Government believes the clarification will help preserve institutional knowledge, improve service delivery and prevent the loss of experienced personnel before their official exit from service.
Under existing regulations, federal civil servants retire upon reaching the age of 60 or after completing 35 years in service, whichever comes first.
The government said the directive will also ensure that retiring officers continue to contribute their expertise while completing pension documentation and other retirement requirements before leaving public service.