The Oyo State Government has declined proposals to raise the retirement age for teachers and civil servants from 60 to 65 years, arguing that such a move would reduce employment opportunities for young graduates in the state.
The Federal Government had earlier approved a similar extension for clinically skilled health professionals, citing the need to retain experienced workers to boost healthcare delivery and enhance training capacity.
Following this, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) called for the policy to be extended across all public service sectors.
Reports indicated that Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, recently approved a five-year extension for teachers, increasing the retirement age to 65 years and the service period to 40 years, while Niger State announced plans to implement the same policy starting January 1, 2026.
Meanwhile, speaking at the Second Multidisciplinary International Conference of the Postgraduate College, Lead City University, Ibadan, the Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Segun Olayiwola, revealed that the state’s Executive Council had extensively deliberated on the matter before deciding against its implementation.
“We discussed this issue at five different executive meetings. The initial focus was on teachers, but other civil servants later demanded inclusion,” Olayiwola explained.
“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 stressed that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration would continue to prioritize youth employment and economic inclusion over prolonging the tenure of existing workers.
