The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Bill, 2021.
The bill, among other recommendations, seeks to change the retirement age of teachers in the country from 60 to 65.
It also seeks to change the years of service for teachers from 35 to 40.
The approval was given at a meeting of the council presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, briefed State House correspondents of the meeting’s outcome.
With the approval, the Federal Government is set to send the bill to the National Assembly.
Other highlights of the bill, according to the minister, include the introduction of bursary award, special rural posting allowances and other measures to attract the best brains to the profession.
Adamu said, “This memo that was approved for education is a giant step towards what we set out to do towards the end of last year with the approval by Mr President of some special packages for teachers.
“So, at the meeting today (Wednesday), the council approved that the bill which would be called Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill, 2021would be sent to the National Assembly for enactment into law.”
Meanwhile, the council approved N1.4bn for the upgrading of electricity facilities at the Calabar Free Trade Zone Area.
Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, disclosed this to journalists after the meeting.
Reacting to the FG’s pronouncement in favour of teacher, the Nigeria Union of Teachers said the approval of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Bill, 2021 by the Federal Executive Council implied that 90 per cent of their requests had been met.
Speaking in an interview, Secretary-General, NUT, Dr. Mike Ike-Ene, lauded the Federal Government for the feat and called on state and local governments not to give excuses during the implementation of the bill.
He said, “For now, as far as we are concerned, we have got 90 per cent of what we are looking for. We are grateful to Mr President, we want to thank our teachers for keeping faith because a lot of tantrums have been thrown in the past.
“Every other government; state, local government should key in to it and not give us excuses why it would not work. We don’t want anyone to give us excuse.”
