FG removes 3-month compulsory leave in civil service

The Federal Government has scrapped the three-month compulsory leave enjoyed in civil service. Before now a civil servant was to be allowed three months leave before his retirement began.

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But the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said that such a privilege doesn’t exist in the Public Service Rules (PSR).

In a circular dated 13 May, 2026, Mrs Walson-Jack mandated all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately discontinue the practice.

“It has come to the attention of this Office that some Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have continued to treat the three-month notice period preceding retirement as a mandatory leave period, contrary to the provisions of the extant Public Service Rules (PSR),” the circular read in part.

It was addressed to top government officials, including ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of agencies, service chiefs, and other key public sector institutions.

Under Public Service Rule 120243, an officer is expected to give three-month notice before retiring.

The first one month such an officer should attend a compulsory one-month pre-retirement seminars/workshops. He would use the remaining two months to put his record straight to ensure faster processing of his retirement.