The Oyo State Government has rejected calls to increase the retirement age for teachers and civil servants from 60 to 65 years, insisting that such a policy would limit job opportunities for young graduates in the state.

The Federal Government had earlier approved a similar age extension for clinically skilled health workers, citing the need to retain experienced professionals to strengthen healthcare delivery and enhance training capacity.

Following this, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, urged that the same policy be extended to all public service sectors.

Recall Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, recently approved a five-year extension for teachers, raising the retirement age to 65 years, and the service period to 40 years, while Niger State announced plans to begin implementation from January 1, 2026.

However, speaking during the Second Multidisciplinary International Conference of the Postgraduate College, Lead City University, Ibadan, the Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Segun Olayiwola, said the state’s Executive Council had thoroughly debated the matter before deciding against its adoption.

“We discussed this issue at five different executive meetings. The initial focus was on teachers, but other civil servants later demanded inclusion,” Olayiwola explained.

“Eventually, we agreed that raising the retirement age would deny younger people employment opportunities. In a state like Niger, where the population and number of graduates are smaller, it may work.

“But in Oyo State, if those due to retire this year stayed an additional five years, the 15,000 teachers we recently recruited might never have had that opportunity.”

The commissioner emphasized that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration would continue prioritizing youth employment and economic inclusion rather than prolonging tenure for those already in service.