The Oyo State Government has opposed the proposal to raise the retirement age for teachers and other civil servants from 60 to 65 years, saying the move would block employment opportunities for young graduates.
The Federal Government had earlier approved a similar extension for clinically skilled health workers, arguing that retaining experienced professionals would strengthen healthcare delivery and training capacity.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) later urged the government to apply the same policy to all public service sectors.
Some states have already adopted the new policy. Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, recently approved a five-year extension for teachers, increasing both the retirement age to 65 and the service period to 40 years. Niger State has also announced that its implementation will begin on January 1, 2026.
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, said the issue had been extensively debated by the State Executive Council before a final decision was reached.
According to him, ‘We discussed this matter over five executive meetings.
The initial proposal focused on teachers, but other civil servants also wanted inclusion. We eventually agreed that extending the retirement age would deny younger people job opportunities.
‘In a state like Niger, the population is smaller and the number of graduates is limited.
But in Oyo State, if the retirement age were raised to 65, those due to leave this year would remain for another five years.
That means the 15,000 teachers we recruited recently might not have had that chance if their seniors had stayed on.’
He stressed that the Makinde-led administration would not consider the extension, as its priority was creating jobs and giving young people space to contribute.
However, some education experts hold a different view.
Professor Afolakemi Oredein, Provost of the Postgraduate College at Lead City University, supported longer service years for academics, especially those involved in mentoring.
‘When you’re training others, experience matters. Allowing professors to stay up to 70 years is a good idea because they can guide younger scholars to become better researchers,’
she explained. She also suggested that the policy could help curb brain drain by retaining seasoned professionals in the system.
In the same vein, Professor Godwin Oyedokun, an educationist and human capital development expert, said retirement policies in academia should be flexible and based on individuals’ capacity.
He recalled attending a retirement event at the University of Ibadan for a professor who, despite his age, was still mentally and physically fit. ‘It felt wasteful to let such a person go when he could still make meaningful contributions,’ he said.
‘The older one grows, the richer their experience becomes. Those who remain strong should be allowed to stay longer, perhaps with reduced workloads and regular health checks to monitor fitness,’ he added.