Reps okay bill raising health workers’ retirement age to 65

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, passed a bill seeking to increase the retirement age of health workers in the country from 60 to 65 through the second reading stage.

This is just as the legislative chamber also raised pensionable years of service from 35 to 40.

Sponsored by the member representing Agege Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Hameed Adewale, the proposed legislation titled, “A Bill for an Act to make provisions for the retirement age for health workers in Nigeria and for related matters,” enjoyed robust debate on the floor of the Green Chamber during plenary session.

Recall that the Harmonised Retirement Age for Health Workers in Nigeria Bill 2024 was read for the first time by the House on Thursday, October 10, 2024.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Adewale emphasized the significance of retaining top professionals in the healthcare sector beyond their mandatory age of 60, saying, “This bill seeks to make provisions for the compulsory retirement age and years of service for Health Workers in Nigeria.

“Essentially, Clauses 2 and 3 of the bill provide that “Health Workers in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier. Any law or the Public Service Rules requiring a person to retire from the Public Service at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service shall not apply to Health Workers in Nigeria.”

Rallying support for the bill, the lawmaker said, “Mr Speaker, my respected colleagues, increasing the retirement age will retain experienced healthcare workers, allowing them to continue contributing their expertise to the sector, this is particularly important at this time that the healthcare delivery system faces significant challenges especially a shortage of skilled professionals.

“Nigeria’s healthcare sector is currently experiencing a significant depletion in both the number and quality of professionals due to two main factors.

“Firstly, a substantial number of health workers are migrating abroad in search of the proverbial golden fleece, a trend difficult to stop given the fundamental human rights of the individuals concerned.

“Secondly, the compulsory retirement age of 60 and the mandatory 35 years of service, as stipulated in the public service rules, is contributing to the exodus of experienced professionals.”

According to him, “While we cannot control the former, the latter can be addressed through the upward review of the retirement age which will be achieved by this bill.

“We have precedence for such measures, as the Federal Government has previously reviewed upward, the retirement age for certain categories of public servants, including judges, lecturers, and teachers.

“Recall that in May 2021, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, reached an agreement with stakeholders in the health sector to increase the retirement age for health workers from 60 to 65 years, hence the need to back the agreement with legislation.

In his contribution, the member representing Damboa, Gwoza, Chibok Federal Constituency, Ahmed Jaha, urged his colleagues to support the bill, noting that healthcare workers who have reached the age of 60 are likely to leave the country in search of greener pastures abroad.

According to him, “It is important that we give this bill a human face. Health workers who have reached the age of 50 or 60 are likely to stay behind in the development of the healthcare sector in Nigeria. It is important that we retain the services of these people.”

Similarly, a member of the All Progressives Congress representing Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency, Katsina State, Sada Soli, also called on lawmakers to let the bill pass through a second reading, noting that the healthcare sector must be handled with diligence to enable it to avail citizens its enormous benefits.

It wasn’t all a smooth ride for the bill as Mark Esset, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party representing Uyo/Uruam Nsit Atai/Ibesikpo Asutan Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, urged the House to reject the proposed legislation.

According to him, “There was an advertisement recently by the Federal Medical Centre for the engagement of health workers. There were only about 100 slots, but over one million Nigerians applied. If those already in the system do not retire, how can young unemployed people be employed?”

Sharing this position, a PDP lawmaker from Rivers State, Felix Nweke, said, “It is not proper to keep extending service years when we have young unemployed Nigerians ready to get engaged. Every year, our universities churn out graduates. Where are these people going to work,” he asked.

However, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary, commended the lawmakers for their contributions and referred the motion to the Committee on Health for further legislative action.