The Federal Government has proposed a bill seeking an upward review of retirement age of Nigerian teachers to 65 from its current 60 years .
Also the 35 years of service, is now extended to 40 years for teachers in the country.
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu addressing newsmen on Wednesday, said the bill was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Mohammadu Buhari at the Executive Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja .
The minister added that the bill provides for a range of new incentives for Nigerian teachers, including special allowances for inconvenient posting, saying the ultimate goal of the new incentives is to attract the best brains to the teaching profession in the country.
"The intention is to attract the best brains to the teaching profession. For that, the President approved the reintroduction of bursary awards, which I told you here last year, improving teacher quality, and funding teaching practice, now from TETFUND, he approved an enhanced entry point for teachers", Adamu further revealed.
"Then, he approved that there should be some special allowances that will allow teachers to be posted to places you can consider ‘hardship postings’, rural posting allowance, science teacher allowance, and of course we have Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) under us that has professionalized the profession".
“Those are the highlights which you already know. But this is the biggest stage now. We are getting legal backing for all these things".
According to him, the bill tagged ‘Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill (2021)’, would be transmitted to the National Assembly for required legislation and enactment into law.
Adamu who described the approval as a giant step in the ministry’s reform race, explained that the ongoing process is aimed at giving legal backing to works done so far .
His words,“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,the council approved that bill, which will be called Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill, 2021 to be sent to the National Assembly for enactment into law. So, all the promises the President made and all the approvals that he has given me will now begin to be put into effect because this is a legal backing that is required for it", the minister added .
He assured teachers that the Buhari administration was commited to their welfare in Nigeria.
“I want to assure teachers that this government will do to them what has never been done. This is the first biggest step"
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