The Nigerian House of Representatives has launched legislative efforts to stop age falsification, end career stagnation, and scrap compulsory retirement of directors after eight years in office within the public service. They also proposed a 30-day widowhood leave to support grieving workers.
On Friday, the House Committee on Public Service Matters held a public hearing to gather expert views and public opinions on these important issues, which aim to improve welfare and efficiency in the civil service.
Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, explained that the compulsory retirement rule for directors serving eight years regardless of age wastes talent and harms leadership continuity. “This motion urges us to rethink the policy’s effects on productivity,” he said.
The House is also concerned about promotion stagnation that frustrates many civil servants despite good performance. Tajudeen called for reforms to restore merit and motivation in the promotion system.
Age falsification, a long-standing problem, was highlighted as a practice that damages trust and unfairly extends tenure. The House plans to use technology and legal measures to tackle this malpractice.
Tajudeen said, “These motions reflect real challenges affecting millions of Nigerians and require genuine participation from all stakeholders.”
Additionally, the House is reviewing a bill to replace the 2014 National Assembly Service Commission Act with the National Assembly Service Act, 2025, aiming to modernize legislative administration. Amendments to the National Assembly Service Pension Board Act are also under consideration to ensure fair pensions and gratuity payments.
Chairman of the Committee, Sani Bala, pledged thorough and transparent examination of the proposals, stressing their importance for good governance and public accountability.
The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, praised the House for the reforms but suggested replacing widowhood leave with bereavement leave to include male workers, recommending 100% pay during the leave. He cited countries like South Africa and France that have similar policies to support workers’ emotional well-being.
The reforms signal a strong push by lawmakers to make Nigeria’s public service fairer, more efficient, and responsive to workers’ needs.
