More than 70 per cent of employees eligible for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC Ltd.) voluntary retirement programme have indicated interest in participating in the scheme, officials of the company have said.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, described the initiative as a voluntary workforce transition programme aimed at supporting organisational renewal and long-term sustainability.
The retirement programme comprises the Accelerated Exit Scheme (AES) and the Voluntary Exit Scheme (VES).
According to the officials, the AES targets employees due for retirement in 2026, while the VES covers staff expected to retire in 2027 as well as employees on grade level SS1 scheduled for retirement between 2028 and 2030.
One of the officials said the programme was not designed to compel workers to leave the company, stressing that participation remained entirely voluntary.
“It is voluntary. If a worker decides to leave early, there is a package he or she gets. Nobody is being forced to leave,” the official said.
The source explained that the initiative was intended to provide employees approaching retirement with an opportunity to exit under enhanced conditions while creating room for younger professionals to join the organisation.
According to the official, the scheme has recorded a high level of acceptance among eligible employees.
“As of today, among those who qualify for this scheme, more than 70 per cent have indicated interest in taking early retirement.
“If we were having 15 per cent or less, one could say people do not want to leave, but the scheme is currently a success,” the source added.
Another company official described the programme as mutually beneficial to both employees and the organisation.
The official said workers who choose to leave before their statutory retirement age would receive enhanced retirement packages, while the company would benefit from workforce renewal and succession planning.
“For the individual who decides to leave early, there is a more enhanced package instead of waiting until the official retirement age or years of service.
“For the organisation, it opens up space to bring in younger people to take up roles and strengthen the workforce,” the source said.
The development follows an internal communication by the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mr Bashir Ojulari, who said the initiative formed part of an ongoing transformation programme within the company.
According to Ojulari, the organisation has embarked on a broader recalibration process aimed at aligning its workforce with future operational and business objectives.
“These programmes form part of our deliberate efforts to responsibly manage workforce transitions while creating the right conditions for organisational renewal and long-term sustainability,” he said.
Officials noted that the programme would complement the company’s recruitment drive, recalling that more than 1,000 employees were recruited last year.
They added that the voluntary exit initiative would create opportunities for younger professionals and, where necessary, experienced specialists to join the organisation.
NNPC Ltd., which became a limited liability company following the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), has undertaken a series of reforms aimed at improving efficiency, strengthening capacity and enhancing competitiveness within the evolving global energy industry.
The company maintained that participation in the retirement programme remains a matter of personal choice and not institutional compulsion.
