AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
In the Nigerian public service, compulsory retirement is set at 60 years of age or 35 years of service, and it is commonly read as whichever date you reach first; confirm your own computed date with your establishment or HR office. Teachers are different: the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act 2022 sets 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier. Private sector retirement age is set by your contract, while access to your RSA follows the Pension Reform Act 2014.
Two clocks, one retirement date
Public servants run two clocks at once: age and length of service. The Public Service Rules set the limits at 60 years of age or 35 years of service. The Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act 2022 refers to this general rule in its section 3, describing it as the rule or legislation requiring retirement from the Public Service at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service, and then switches it off for teachers. The general rule is commonly read as whichever date comes first, which is how the teachers' law words its own limits, though the 2022 Act does not itself spell that out for the general rule. Because a lot rides on the exact date, ask your HR or establishment office for your computed retirement date in writing.
The teachers' rule: 65 or 40
Section 2 of the 2022 Act says teachers compulsorily retire on attaining 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier. Section 4 defines who counts as a teacher:
- an education officer or a person engaged in teaching, including a technical instructor teaching trade, technical or vocational subjects, in a secondary school, college or professional department; and
- a teacher, headmaster or headmistress in a primary school who holds a teaching qualification recognised by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
The Act applies throughout the Federal Republic, so it is not limited to federal schools. If you are a teacher in a state school and your state has not updated its records, keep a copy of the Act with your file.
Worked examples
Examples only, using whole years for simplicity.
| Person | Born | First appointment | Age limit reached | Service limit reached | Retires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil servant A | 1970 | 1995 (age 25) | 2030 (60) | 2030 (35 years) | 2030 |
| Civil servant B | 1970 | 1992 (age 22) | 2030 (60) | 2027 (35 years) | 2027, service limit first |
| Civil servant C | 1972 | 2002 (age 30) | 2032 (60) | 2037 (35 years) | 2032, age limit first |
| Teacher D | 1970 | 1992 (age 22) | 2035 (65) | 2032 (40 years) | 2032, service limit first |
The early starter (B) leaves three years before turning 60. Under the teachers' rule the same career (D) runs to 2032, five years later than B. Small differences in recorded dates of birth or first appointment move these dates, which is why record errors matter.
Why your recorded dates matter
Both clocks run from dates on your file, not from what you know to be true. A date of birth recorded wrongly at first appointment, or a first appointment date that ignores an earlier temporary engagement, can move your exit by months or years. Corrections are far easier while you are still in service and the people who can confirm the facts are reachable. Gather your birth certificate or declaration of age, first appointment letter, confirmation letter and promotion letters, and compare them with the record your HR office holds. The same documents feed your pension, as explained in our guide to how the RSA pension system works: PenCom's 2023 FAQs list a birth certificate or declaration of age and an employment letter among the documents for RSA data recapture, so a mismatch between your service record and your pension record is worth fixing at the same time.
Private sector: your contract decides
For private sector workers, the retirement age is a matter for the employment contract and the employer's handbook; the sources checked for this article do not set a single statutory private sector age. What the law does fix is when your pension savings become payable. KPMG's summary of the Pension Reform Act 2014 says an RSA holder can use the balance on retirement or on attaining 50 years, whichever is later. People who leave a job before 50 and do not find another within four months can withdraw a lump sum of up to 25% of the RSA balance, with the rest held until 50.
What to check first
- Find your date of birth and date of first appointment exactly as they appear on your service record, not as you remember them.
- Work out both the age date and the service date, and take the earlier one.
- If you are a teacher, confirm your employer has applied the 65/40 rule to your file.
- Ask your PFA for your RSA balance and a projection a few years before your date, and decide early between programmed withdrawal and annuity.
- If your records are wrong, correct them well before your retirement year.
Our guides to programmed withdrawal vs annuity and catching up on a small RSA balance cover the money side.
Where Pryme fits
Retirement dates often land before the pension income is settled. A Naira Savings Box set up a few years ahead can hold a cushion for those first months; the rate is shown in the app before you commit.
Questions people ask
Is retirement age in Nigeria 60 or 65?
For the public service generally it is 60 years of age or 35 years of service. Teachers retire at 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier, under the 2022 Act.
What if I reach 35 years of service before 60?
On the common reading of the rule the earlier date applies, so you would retire on reaching 35 years of service. Ask your establishment office for your computed date in writing.
Is there a retirement age for private sector workers in Nigeria?
The sources checked set no single statutory private sector age; it depends on your contract. Your RSA becomes payable on retirement or at 50, whichever is later.
Does the 65-year rule apply to all teachers?
It applies to teachers as defined in section 4 of the Act: education officers and those engaged in teaching in secondary schools, colleges and professional departments, and qualified primary school teachers and heads.
Sources
- LawCare Nigeria, Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act 2022 (text) · accessed Oct 2026
- KPMG Nigeria newsletter, The Pension Reform Act 2014 (Jul 2014) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.