The Federal Government has directed the immediate retirement of all directors who have served eight years or more in their positions within the Ministry of Health and its affiliated agencies.
A memo obtained by journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, confirmed that the directive applies to directors across the ministry itself, federal teaching hospitals, medical centres, and other parastatals and agencies under the Ministry of Health.
The action enforces a long-standing Federal Government policy that imposes an eight-year tenure limit for directors and equivalent ranks, as well as a four-year renewable tenure for permanent secretaries across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The memo, signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director in the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, instructs heads of agencies and parastatals to:
– Ensure affected directors hand over all official documents, assets, and responsibilities without delay
– Immediately stop their salaries
– Recover and refund to the treasury any payments made beyond their official retirement date
The ministry has mandated strict compliance monitoring, with officials from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation expected to conduct verification exercises.
All agencies are required to submit comprehensive lists of directorate-level officers to the ministry for cross-checking and confirmation.
This enforcement follows the introduction of the revised Public Service Rules in 2023 (approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2021), which formalised the tenure limits to promote efficiency, prevent stagnation, and create opportunities for career progression within the civil service.
Officials who fail to comply with the directive face appropriate sanctions.
The move is part of broader efforts to strengthen governance, accountability, and renewal in the federal civil service.
