The Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria has directed the immediate disengagement of directors who have spent eight years or more in the directorate cadre, in line with the country’s revised civil service rules.
The decision was communicated in an official memo circulated in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The directive affects directors serving within the Federal Ministry of Health, federal government hospitals, health agencies, and related institutions across the country.
The Federal Ministry of Health is the arm of the federal government of Nigeria responsible for public health policy, national health programmes, and oversight of federal medical institutions. It is currently led by Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate.
The memo was signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health. It reaffirmed the enforcement of the Eight-Year Tenure Policy of the Federal Public Service, as contained in the Revised Public Service Rules 2021.
The circular stated: “Further to the Eight (8)-Year Tenure Policy of the Federal Public Service, which mandates the compulsory retirement of Directors after eight years in that rank, as provided in the Revised Public Service Rules 2021(PSR 020909) copy attached, I am directed to remind you to take necessary action to ensure that all affected officers who have spent eight years as Directors, effective 31st December, 2025, are disengaged from Service immediately.
“Accordingly, all Heads of Agencies and Parastatals are by this circular, to ensure that the affected staff hand over all official documents/possessions with immediate effect, their salaries are stopped by the IPPIS Unit and mandate the officers to refund to the treasury all emoluments paid after their effective date of disengagement.
“This is reiterated in a circular recently issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ref. No. HSCF/3065/Vol.I/225, dated 10″ February 2026. A copy is herewith attached for guidance, please.
“In addition, you are to forward the nominal roll of all directorate officers(CONMESS 07/CONHESS 15/CONRAISS 15) In your institution, send to [email protected] and [email protected]. You may please note that officials from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Ministry will conduct a monitoring exercise to ensure compliance.
“Failure to adhere to paragraph 2 above shall be met with stiff sanctions.”
Okay News reports that this action follows a broader directive from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the central authority responsible for managing Nigeria’s federal civil service. On Monday, February 16, 2026, the federal government of Nigeria instructed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to strictly enforce the eight-year tenure limit for directors and permanent secretaries.
The revised Public Service Rules were approved by the Federal Executive Council, Nigeria’s highest executive decision-making body, on Monday, September 27, 2021. The rules were formally unveiled during activities marking the 2023 Civil Service Week and became operational on Thursday, July 27, 2023, according to a circular issued at the time by the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan.
Under Section 020909 of the Revised Public Service Rules, permanent secretaries are limited to a tenure of four years, which may be renewed only upon satisfactory performance. Directors at Grade Level 17 or their equivalent are required to retire compulsorily after eight years in that position.
The latest enforcement move signals a tightening of compliance within Nigeria’s public administration. For affected officials, the directive means immediate retirement if they have exceeded the tenure threshold as of Tuesday, December 31, 2025. Monitoring teams from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Health are expected to oversee implementation to ensure that all institutions comply fully with the policy.
