The Federal Ministry of Health has ordered the immediate disengagement of directors who have served eight years in the directorate cadre, enforcing the Federal Government’s tenure policy across the health sector.
A memo obtained in Abuja on Tuesday confirmed that the directive affects directors in the ministry, federal hospitals, agencies, and parastatals under the ministry’s oversight.
The move follows a government-wide instruction issued on Monday requiring all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to implement the eight-year tenure limit for directors and permanent secretaries, in line with a deadline set by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The FMOH circular, signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, referenced the Eight-Year Tenure Policy in the Revised Public Service Rules 2021 (PSR 020909).
“Further to the Eight (8)-Year Tenure Policy of the Federal Public Service, which mandates the compulsory retirement of Directors after eight years in that rank… I am directed to remind you to take necessary action to ensure that all affected officers who have spent eight years as Directors, effective 31st December, 2025, are disengaged from Service immediately,” the memo stated.
The directive requires heads of agencies and parastatals to ensure affected officers immediately hand over official documents and property. Their salaries are to be stopped by the IPPIS Unit, and any emoluments paid after their effective disengagement date must be refunded to the treasury.
The ministry cited a recent circular from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (Ref. No. HSCF/3065/Vol.I/225, dated February 10, 2026) to reiterate compliance and warned that failure to adhere would attract “stiff sanctions.”
Institutions were instructed to forward the nominal roll of all directorate officers (CONMESS 07/CONHESS 15/CONRAISS 15) to designated official email addresses, with monitoring exercises to be conducted by both the ministry and the Head of Service.
The enforcement stems from reforms initiated under former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, who in July 2023 operationalised the revised Public Service Rules.
Speaking at the State House during the 2023 Civil Service Week, Yemi-Esan confirmed the PSR had taken effect from July 27, 2023.
Under Section 020909 of the revised PSR, permanent secretaries are limited to a four-year tenure, renewable only upon satisfactory performance, while directors on Grade Level 17 or equivalent must compulsorily retire after eight years in office, a move designed to strengthen accountability and ensure regular leadership renewal in the civil service.
