The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has commenced an early retirement scheme that is already attracting significant interest from employees, with officials confirming that more than 70 per cent of eligible staff have indicated willingness to participate in the voluntary exit arrangement.
The initiative, structured under the Accelerated Exit Scheme and the Voluntary Exit Scheme, is being positioned by the company as a strategic and non-coercive reform designed to align its workforce with long-term transformation goals, improve efficiency and create space for younger professionals.
The AES targets employees with up to one year left before retirement in 2026, while the VES covers staff due for statutory retirement in 2027, as well as SS1-grade employees with about two to five years remaining before retirement between 2028 and 2030.
Officials of the national oil company, who spoke with The PUNCH on condition of anonymity on Sunday because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the retirement scheme, insisted that the initiative is entirely voluntary and designed to benefit both employees and the organisation.
They said no employee was being compelled to leave the organisation. One of the officials disclosed that more than 70 per cent of workers eligible for the scheme had already indicated interest in taking advantage of the programme.
The clarification comes amid concerns in some quarters over the rationale behind the initiative and speculation that some categories of staff may be under pressure to exit the company.
The PUNCH reports that last month, an internal communication from the Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ojulari, to staff explained that the restructuring is part of a broader organisational recalibration currently underway at the national oil company.
PUNCH
