The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has submitted a memo on the extension of retirement age for medical and dental consultants in the country to the Office of the Head of Service.
The proposal seeks to extend the retirement age of consultants from 60 years to 70 years.
In February, President Bola Tinubu approved an upward review of the retirement age for doctors and other healthcare workers from 60 to 65 years.
However, the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria has continued to advocate 70 years for consultants, citing the rising emigration of skilled health professionals and the shortage of trainers at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels of medical education.
The association noted that about 1,594 consultants, aged 55 and above, are expected to retire by 2029, while data show that 1,056 consultants left Nigeria between 2019 and 2023 in search of better opportunities abroad.
According to stakeholders, the proposed extension would help address the nation’s healthcare workforce shortage.
Speaking exclusively with our correspondent on Monday, MDCAN President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, said the association remained optimistic that the retirement age extension would be approved by the government.
“We are at the last bus stop of the negotiations. What I mean by that is that the memo has been submitted by the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, to the Office of the Head of Service.
“So, we are waiting for the next National Council on Establishment to consider and possibly approve. We are still waiting for a date to be fixed by the Office of the Head of Service for the Council on Establishment, possibly in September,” Muhammad said.
The don expressed optimism that the retirement age extension memo would be approved and implemented without delay.
