The Federal Government has abolished the long-standing practice of placing federal civil servants on a mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave, directing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately discontinue the arrangement. The move is aimed at standardising the interpretation of public service rules and preventing the premature withdrawal of experienced personnel from active service.
The directive was issued through a circular signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, and distributed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies and other senior government officials.
According to the circular, several MDAs had incorrectly interpreted the mandatory three-month retirement notice period as an automatic leave entitlement, resulting in officers leaving their duty posts months before their official retirement dates.
The Head of Service clarified that Public Service Rule 120243 does not provide for a compulsory three-month leave before retirement. Instead, the rule requires officers approaching retirement to give three months' notice, attend an approved one-month pre-retirement seminar or workshop, and use the remaining period to reconcile service records and complete pension-related documentation.
She stressed that the notice period is not a leave entitlement and does not exempt officers from performing their official responsibilities. Retiring officers are expected to remain in active service throughout the notice period except when attending approved retirement programmes or when absent under existing leave provisions.
The government explained that the clarification became necessary because the widespread practice of early disengagement had created manpower gaps across government institutions. Many agencies reportedly lost experienced personnel months before their actual retirement dates, affecting operational continuity and service delivery.
Under the new directive, civil servants approaching retirement must continue carrying out their official duties until their effective retirement dates while simultaneously completing all retirement and pension documentation. MDAs have also been instructed to ensure strict compliance with the revised interpretation of the rules.
Officials believe the policy will improve workforce management by ensuring that experienced officers remain available to contribute their expertise until their formal exit from service. The government also expects the measure to promote uniform application of retirement procedures across the federal civil service.
The decision represents one of the latest administrative reforms within the federal civil service as authorities seek to improve efficiency, strengthen institutional capacity, and eliminate practices not explicitly provided for under existing regulations.
For retiring officers, the change means they will remain officially at work until their final retirement dates while continuing to participate in approved retirement preparation activities and completing pension processing requirements.