The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has determined that education officers and teachers serving as directors within the Federal Civil Service are exempt from the mandatory eight-year tenure retirement policy. Justice O. Y. Anuwe ruled in Abuja on July 10, 2026, that these professionals are permitted to remain in their roles until they reach 65 years of age or reach 40 years of pensionable service.
This ruling invalidates specific circulars released by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, which had attempted to enforce the eight-year limit. The court noted that these directives conflicted directly with the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act of 2022. The legal challenge was initiated by Rakiya Gambo Iliyasu, a Grade Level 17 Director, who argued that her status as an education officer granted her the protections afforded to teachers under the 2022 Act.
Justice Anuwe affirmed that the 2022 Act takes precedence over the Public Service Rules regarding retirement. The court emphasized that the eight-year tenure requirement stipulated in Rule 020909 no longer applies to this group, regardless of their position as directors. Consequently, the court declared the February 2026 circulars null and void and issued a permanent injunction preventing the government from applying the eight-year policy to teachers and education officers. Both parties were instructed to cover their respective legal expenses.
