Health Ministry Pushes for 70-Year Retirement Age for Consultants
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has submitted a proposal to the Office of the Head of Service seeking an extension of the retirement age for medical and dental consultants from 60 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 (MDCAN) has continued to demand 70 years, citing the growing emigration of medical experts and the shortage of trainers at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
According to the association, about 1,594 consultants aged 55 and above are expected to retire by 2029, while 1,056 left Nigeria between 2019 and 2023 in search of better prospects abroad. Stakeholders say the extension would help reduce the strain on the health sector’s already thin workforce.
MDCAN President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, told our correspondent on Monday that the matter is now at the final stage. “The Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has forwarded the memo to the Office of the Head of Service. We are waiting for the National Council on Establishment to take it up, possibly in September,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the proposal would receive prompt approval and implementation.
