ABUJA, Nigeria — A new tenure policy introduced for directors in Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service has led the Federal Ministry of Finance to order all its directors who have spent eight years in the directorate cadre to tender their notices for early retirement.
The new policy follows the revised Public Service Rules, PSR, launched by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation on July 28, 2023.
Within these revised rules, the Federal Government introduced a tenure policy for Permanent Secretaries, stating they will now spend four years, subject to renewal after evaluating their performances.
Moreover, directors who spend eight years will compulsorily retire after the period.
A memo dated August 3, 2023, signed by the Director of Administration of the ministry, Mariya Rufai, was sent to all directors and heads of units within the ministry.
It highlighted the new rules and directed all directors who have served for eight years and above to submit their notice of retirement.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, has reportedly called for the immediate implementation of the PSR across all ministries.
The Ministry of Finance’s memo stated:
“Consequently, all Directors (SGL 17) who have spent eight years and above on the post are by this Internal Circular directed to submit their notice of retirement in line with Section 020909 of the revised PSR effective from the date stated thereof. Accordingly, all affected directors are advised to commence the documentation process with the Administration Department for compulsory retirement by the section under reference.”
The directive also called for the directors to hand over to the most senior officers in their departments and surrender all official documents, including Identification Cards and official vehicles, before exiting.
This policy shift marks a significant change in the civil service structure in Nigeria and aims to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability within the Federal Ministries.
Critics of the old system have often complained about stagnation and lack of dynamism in the civil service, and this new move is seen as an attempt to address those concerns.
The impact of this directive on the Federal Ministry of Finance and other departments will be closely watched in the coming months, as the government seeks to implement these changes across the board.
