The Cross River State Government has approved an extension of the retirement age for frontline health workers from 60 to 65 years or from 35 to 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first.
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The approval, granted by Governor Bassey Otu, was conveyed in Head of Service Circular No. 11/2026, signed by the state’s Head of Service, Orok Okon, and made available to journalists in Calabar on Tuesday.
Okon said the policy was introduced to retain experienced healthcare professionals, address shortages of skilled personnel and strengthen service delivery across the state’s health sector.
According to him, the new retirement arrangement applies strictly to frontline health workers serving in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities operated by the state and local governments.
Health workers occupying administrative positions are excluded from the extension and will continue to retire under the existing public service rules.
“The circular excludes health workers occupying administrative positions, while maintaining existing retirement rules for other categories of public servants,” Okon said.
He explained that the Commissioner for Health would recommend eligible state health workers after verifying their qualifications, continued fitness for service and compliance with the requirements of the policy.
For health workers employed at the local government level, the Director-General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency will be responsible for recommending qualified personnel.
The Head of Service directed the Accountant-General of the state to ensure that only officers duly verified, recommended and approved under the new arrangement remain on the government payroll after reaching the former retirement threshold.
Okon reaffirmed that the policy does not apply to other categories of public servants, who will continue to retire at the age of 60 or after completing 35 years of pensionable service, whichever occurs first.
He said the new arrangement would take effect from August 1, 2026, and was intended to strengthen the state’s health workforce by retaining experienced professionals who remain medically fit and capable of delivering essential services.
Reacting to the approval, the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, described the decision as a historic milestone for the state’s healthcare system.
Ayuk thanked Governor Otu for what he described as the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare and reforms aimed at improving healthcare delivery.
He expressed confidence that retaining experienced frontline workers for an additional five years would help address manpower gaps, improve institutional knowledge and consolidate the progress already recorded in the state’s health sector.
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