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The Nigerian Army has suspended all mandatory and voluntary retirements for specific groups of officers due to the nationwide security emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.
An internal communication dated December 3, signed by Maj. Gen. E. I. Okoro, on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, revealed that this retirement suspension aims to preserve workforce, experience, and operational effectiveness as the Armed Forces adapt to escalating insecurity.
The memo, which refers to the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service Officers (HTACOS) 2024, clarified that although officers are typically expected to retire upon reaching a certain age, after 35 years of service, or after failing promotion or conversion multiple times, extensions of service are allowed under Paragraph 3.10(e) in the military’s interest.
“The President and Commander-in-Chief declared a nationwide security emergency on November 26, mandating the expansion of the AFN and other security agencies. In line with this, and to rapidly expand the workforce, it has become expedient to temporarily suspend all statutory and voluntary retirements from the Nigerian Army with immediate effect.” The memo read.
As stated in the circular, the temporary suspension applies to officers in the following categories: those who have failed promotion exams three times, those who have been passed over for promotions three times, those who have hit the age limit for their ranks, those who have failed conversion exams three times, and those who have completed 35 years of service.
President Bola Tinubu announced a nationwide security emergency on November 26, 2025, and instructed the military, police, and intelligence agencies to increase recruitment and deploy thousands of additional personnel.
