The Oyo State Government has rejected the proposal to raise the retirement age for teachers and civil servants from 60 to 65 years, saying the policy would reduce job opportunities for younger graduates.
The Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Segun Olayiwola, announced the decision on Wednesday at the 2nd Multidisciplinary International Conference of the Postgraduate College, Lead City University, Ibadan.
Olayiwola explained that the State Executive Council debated the issue extensively before deciding against it. According to him, the extension would block employment opportunities for thousands of new teachers and graduates waiting to join the civil service.
“It took us about five executive meetings to discuss this matter,” he said. “The memo that came was for teachers only, but other civil servants also asked to be included. If we allow it to be raised to 65, those due to retire this year will remain for another five years. That means the 15,000 teachers we employed into primary and secondary schools in Oyo State would have been deprived of that opportunity.”
The federal government had earlier approved a similar extension for clinically skilled health workers, citing the need to improve healthcare delivery and training. Following that decision, the Nigeria Labour Congress urged the government to extend the new retirement age to all categories of civil servants.
Some states have already adopted the policy. Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji approved it for teachers in May, while Niger State followed suit on Monday, to take effect from January 2026.
However, education experts at the conference offered mixed views. The Provost of the Postgraduate College, Lead City University, Prof. Afolakemi Oredein, supported the idea, saying experienced academics play a vital role in mentoring younger scholars. “Increasing it to 70 years is not a bad idea,” she said. “It helps experienced professors bring up younger ones and could reduce brain drain.”
Also speaking, Professor Godwin Oyedokun, an educationist and human capital development expert, called for flexibility in academic retirement, suggesting that retention should depend on an individual’s strength and productivity.
“For those still strong and active, they should be retained, but with reduced workload and regular health checks,” he said.
