Nigerian govt mulls 65 years retirement age for teachers

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Tuesday plans are underway to increase the retirement age of teachers in Nigeria’s public service from 60 to 65 years.

Osinbajo disclosed this when he hosted the 2020 Maltina Teacher of the Year award winner, Oluwabunmi Anani, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Anani was accompanied to the State House by the Head of Public and Government Affairs, Nigerian Breweries Limited (NBL), Uzodinma Odenigbo.

He said the Federal Government also planned to employ teachers into the public service starting from level 8 as against level 7.

Osinbajo said: “So, I think also important to reward teachers; the Federal Government, on its part, has been doing a bit of work in trying to improve the lot of teachers.

“For example, there is a policy now, though not a law yet; it is still in the National Assembly about moving the retirement age of teachers in the public service from 60 to 65.

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“That’s an additional five years; then also looking at their remuneration.

“ I think one of the questions that have arisen is when the teacher comes into the public service; in the past, they used to come in at Level 7, which is not the level that a graduate would come in.

“Part of the policy is that they should come in at Level 8; but of course this has to go through various processes and all that.’’

He said President Muhammadu Buhari had shown tremendous concern about teachers and how to improve their lot.

The Vice President stressed that states have a role to play as issues of primary and secondary education are essentially the function of states.

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