The Oyo State Government has rejected proposals to raise the retirement age for teachers and civil servants from 60 to 65 years, citing concerns that such a policy would reduce job opportunities for young graduates in the state.
While the Federal Government recently approved a five-year age extension for clinically skilled health workers to retain experienced professionals and boost healthcare delivery, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged that the policy be extended to all public service sectors.
In line with the federal directive, some states have begun adopting similar measures. Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, recently approved the extension for teachers, increasing their retirement age to 65 years and service period to 40 years. Niger State has also announced plans to implement the policy starting January 1, 2026.
However, Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Segun Olayiwola, said the state’s Executive Council had thoroughly examined the proposal and decided against adopting it.
Speaking during the Second Multidisciplinary International Conference of the Postgraduate College, Lead City University, Ibadan, Olayiwola revealed that the issue was discussed extensively across five executive meetings.“We discussed this issue at five different executive meetings. The initial focus was on teachers, but other civil servants later demanded inclusion,” Olayiwola said.
“Eventually, we agreed that raising the retirement age would deny younger people employment opportunities. In a state like Niger, where the population and number of graduates are smaller, it may work.
But in Oyo State, if those due to retire this year stayed an additional five years, the 15,000 teachers we recently recruited might never have had that opportunity.”
The commissioner emphasized that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration remains committed to promoting youth employment and economic inclusion rather than extending tenure for those already in service.
