Tinubu Approves Retirement Age Increase for Doctors & Healthcare Workers

By Achimi Muktar

In a major policy shift aimed at tackling Nigeria’s healthcare crisis, President Bola Tinubu has approved a five-year increase in the retirement age for doctors and other healthcare workers, extending it from 60 to 65 years.

This landmark decision is expected to curb brain drain, enhance knowledge transfer, and improve healthcare delivery, offering much-needed relief to the medical sector.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by Dr. Mannir Bature, National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), who confirmed that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has been directed to finalize the approval with the Council on Establishment through the Office of the Head of Service.

Bature disclosed that top stakeholders in the healthcare sector were part of a high-level meeting where Pate relayed the development. Attendees included:

Prof. Bala Audu, NMA President

Leaders of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN)

Representatives from the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM)

Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)

Aside from the retirement age extension, the Federal Government has also secured funds for the payment of salary arrears following adjustments to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

“The disbursement to beneficiaries will commence soon,” Bature stated.

Additionally, President Tinubu approved corrections to salary adjustments under both CONMESS and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), following the implementation of the new minimum wage.

In another significant move, the government has approved new tariffs for private healthcare service providers, particularly benefiting members of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners and Nurses (ANPMPN).

This development aims to enhance financial remuneration and ensure the sustainability of healthcare services nationwide.

Nigeria has been losing its best medical professionals to better-paying jobs abroad, a crisis that has worsened in recent years. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has long advocated for an increase in the retirement age as a way to retain experienced professionals and improve healthcare delivery.

With this policy shift, the government is hoping to slow the mass exodus of doctors while improving medical education, mentorship, and service delivery.

However, the big question remains: Will this be enough to keep Nigerian doctors at home, or will the lure of better pay and working conditions abroad continue to drain the system?

For now, the government has sent a strong signal—healthcare workers are valued, and efforts are being made to strengthen the system. Whether this is the game-changer Nigeria needs remains to be seen.