The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, approved the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers Bill, 2021, for consideration and passage by the National Assembly,
The Bill seeks to give legal backing to new measures pronounced by President Muhammadu Buhari in October, last year, during the World Teachers’ Day, to enhance welfare package for the teaching profession in the country.
Education Minister Adamu Adamu, disclosed this while briefing after the first virtual federal Executive Council FEC meeting in 2021, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja.
He disclosed that FEC on Wednesday, approved the bill to be sent to the National Assembly for its consideration and possible approval.
If approved by the lawmakers, the retirement age of teachers will move from 60 years to 65 while the years of service will also move from 35 to 40.
Other highlights of the new Bill, according to Adamu Adamu, include the introduction of bursary award, special rural posting allowances and other measures to attract the best brains to the profession.
According to Adamu, the “approved memo represents 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, all the promises the President made and all the approvals that he has given me will now be put into effect because this is a legal backing that is required for it” he said.
The move is also expected to attract the best available human resources into the sector.
The President had also approved the reintroduction of bursary awards, which will also improve teaching quality, and funding teaching practice.
“From TETFUND, he approved an enhanced entry point for teachers, as well as special allowances that will allow teachers to be posted to places considered as ‘hardship postings’, roll posting allowance, science teacher allowance, and of course we have Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) under us that has professionalized the profession.
“ The essence of the bill is to seek approval so that there is legal backing for the new retirement age of 65 years for teachers and the service period being extended to 40 years for teachers. This is the main issue while all other issues are ancillary to it.
FEC also approved contract for the upgrade of the electricity component of the Calabar Free Trade Zone Area, for the sum of N1.48b
The contract was initially awarded in 2018 to upgrade the electrical facility in the free trade zone area and it was not completed.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo So, we brought a memo and Council approved the sum of N1 billion Naira, 4 hundred and eighty four thousand naira for the completion of the calabar free trade zone area.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, also disclosed that FEC approved a treaty on “plant genetic resource for food and agriculture”
The import of this treaty is for the advancement and enhancement of agricultural resource base of the member countries.
He disclosed that “Nigeria had signed the treaty for a long time but it is only today that the FEC approved the ratification.
“We will now become full member of this treaty and it will enhance training and research of our agricultural scientists, agricultural fractionists and so on and so forth.
“In short, the entire treaty is meant to boost agricultural production in the country as it affects 167 other countries”
