Nigeria Enforces Eight-Year Tenure Rule, Orders Directors’ Exit

ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health orders the immediate disengagement of directors who have spent eight years in the directorate cadre, enforcing long-standing public service rules aimed at strengthening accountability.

A circular issued in Abuja on Tuesday and signed by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Tetshoma Dafeta, directs all departments, federal hospitals, agencies and parastatals to disengage affected officers with immediate effect.

Heads of agencies are ordered to ensure immediate handover of official documents and property, halt salary payments through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, and recover all emoluments paid after the effective date of disengagement. The ministry warns that failure to comply “shall be met with stiff sanctions”.

The directive aligns with the revised Public Service Rules unveiled in July 2023 by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, following approval by the Federal Executive Council in 2021.

Under Section 020909 of the rules, directors on Grade Level 17 must retire compulsorily after eight years in that rank, while permanent secretaries are limited to a four-year tenure, renewable only on satisfactory performance.

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Mirian Gom

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Gom Mirian AHR Senior Correspondent, has over 8 years’ experience reporting on health, crime, education, investigations, and development issues across Nigeria and Africa. With dual degrees in Economics, she combines analytical skill with compelling storytelling. Widely recognised for her public health and humanitarian reporting, she earned a Nestlé Award nomination for compelling human-interest journalism. Follow her on Twitter @mirian_linus.

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