FG begins implementation of 100% retirement benefits for civil servants

The Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the 100 per cent exit benefit approved for treasury-funded Federal Civil Servants by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as part of sustained efforts to improve workers’ welfare and strengthen retirement security.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Olumuyiwa Enitan Abel, disclosed this in Abuja during the symbolic presentation of exit benefit cheques to five beneficiaries at the National Pension Week Leadership Summit.

It will be recalled that President Tinubu approved a 100 per cent exit gratuity, equivalent to total annual gross emoluments, for treasury-funded federal public servants effective January 1, 2026, payable alongside their statutory entitlements under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

Abel, who presented the cheques alongside the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, Dr. Abdul Sule Garba, and the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Bridget Oloworaran, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to enhancing the welfare of both serving personnel and pensioners.

He noted that civil servants who dedicated their active years to nation-building deserve institutional recognition, financial stability, and dignity in retirement.

“Our pensioners have worked, they have toiled, and they have contributed to the building of this nation. So they deserve to be recognised, rewarded, and appreciated,” Abel said.

The Head of Service expressed confidence that retirees’ welfare will record sustained improvement under PenCom’s current leadership, urging the commission to maintain seamless operational efficiency to eliminate delays in the disbursement of accrued retirement benefits.

He maintained that retirement should represent a peaceful transition into a new chapter of life rather than a phase marked by anxiety and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Abel noted that the disbursement of the cheques reflects the Federal Government’s determination to translate high-level policy declarations into tangible, verifiable welfare improvements for the workforce.

Meanwhile, the Head of Service has charged federal civil servants to elevate their productivity, ethical discipline, and delivery standards to drive President Tinubu’s vision of expanding Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

He gave the charge at the 2026 Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS) Week Colloquium and the unveiling of the maiden edition of the CORFEPS Journal on Public Policy and Governance, held on Wednesday, October 28, at the Rotunda, Tafawa Balewa House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.

According to a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Eno Olotu, Abel asserted that Nigeria’s economic repositioning rests on the agility, competence, and output of the civil service.

He stressed that the bureaucracy must function as an efficient engine capable of translating executive policies into measurable socioeconomic dividends.

The HCSF noted that prevailing macroeconomic headwinds, fiscal consolidation demands, and global technological shifts make institutional integrity and rigorous implementation capacity imperative.

He said the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda depends not only on sound policymaking but also on the bureaucracy’s ability to offer objective policy advice, execute directives effectively, and uphold accountability to the public.

Abel further disclosed that the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2026–2030 (FCSSIP30) will build upon the milestones of the previous FCSSIP25 blueprint, placing central focus on end-to-end digital transformation, process optimization, and objective performance management systems.

He emphasized, however, that achieving these targets demands a fundamental shift in workplace culture, public service ethos, and operational discipline.

Delivering the keynote address, Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Power and Infrastructure, Sadiq Wanka, affirmed that national development ambitions can only be realised when institutions faithfully bridge the gap between policy design and field implementation.

The Vice President commended CORFEPS for fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer, strategic policy dialogue, and administrative evaluation to support the Federal Government.

Also speaking, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, underscored the civil service’s role as the anchor of institutional continuity, policy coherence, and administrative stability through political transitions.

Mustapha advocated merit-driven recruitment and career advancement, stronger alignment between performance metrics and promotions, evidence-based policy formulation, and clear accountability for public service outcomes.

He called for deeper operational synergy between CORFEPS and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to deepen mentorship programmes and protect institutional memory.

Unveiling the maiden edition of the CORFEPS Journal on Public Policy and Governance, Abel described the publication as an essential repository for documenting administrative history, preserving institutional memory, and advancing empirical public administration research.

Earlier in his welcome address, CORFEPS Chairman, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, emphasized the need for regular structured interfaces between serving officers and retirees, observing that the insights of veteran administrators provide valuable guidance for solving contemporary governance problems.

He assured that the council will continue to share comparative administrative expertise and offer constructive counsel to strengthen the machinery of government.

The colloquium was attended by serving and retired permanent secretaries, former Heads of the Civil Service of the Federation—including Didi Esther Walson-Jack and Alhaji Isa Bello Sali—senior government officials, and members of the diplomatic corps.