OPEN LETTER TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AGE LIMIT BARRIERS IN EMPLOYMENT — A NATIONAL CALL FOR FAIRNESS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND THE RESTORATION OF HOPE TO QUALIFIED NIGERIANS
His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR; the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment; the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission; and all relevant government institutions and stakeholders.
SUBJECT
Age limit barriers in employment: A national call for fairness, equal opportunity and the restoration of hope to qualified Nigerians.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
The Isoko-Nation Progressive Like-Minds (INPLM), under the leadership of its President, Comrade Ilaya Efemena Beckly, respectfully brings to your attention a pressing national concern: the exclusion of qualified Nigerians from employment opportunities because they have exceeded stipulated age limits.
This letter is a call for urgent policy reconsideration, legislative attention and administrative reform. It is written in the interest of Nigerians who possess the qualifications, skills, experience and determination to work, yet encounter barriers that may prevent them from competing fairly for available jobs.
Can a Nigerian become too old to contribute to national development simply because a recruitment notice says so? Can years of experience, professional competence, technical knowledge and personal sacrifice be rendered irrelevant because an applicant has crossed an age threshold?
INPLM believes these questions deserve serious national attention.
1. THE HUMAN COST OF AGE-BASED EXCLUSION
Behind every rejected job application is a human story. Some graduates have had their education delayed by financial hardship. Others have spent years supporting their families before returning to school. Many have acquired valuable skills and practical experience outside the formal employment system.
INPLM asks the Federal Government to consider these realities. A recruitment system should not automatically conclude that a person has lost the capacity to contribute merely because that person has reached a particular age. Where an age requirement is necessary, its justification should be clear and connected to the position.
2. EXPERIENCE MUST NOT BECOME A DISADVANTAGE
A productive nation should recognise the value of experience. Applicants aged 35, 40 or 45 may possess substantial professional knowledge, maturity, discipline, leadership skills and practical understanding of workplace responsibilities.
INPLM is not demanding preferential treatment for older applicants. We are demanding a fair opportunity for qualified Nigerians to compete on the basis of merit, relevant experience, competence and their ability to perform the required duties.
Age should not be used as an automatic substitute for assessing ability.
3. UNEMPLOYMENT, POVERTY AND FAMILY SURVIVAL
Employment supports families, strengthens communities and contributes to national productivity. When capable citizens are excluded without sufficient justification, the consequences may include prolonged financial insecurity, increased family pressure and the loss of valuable human capital.
INPLM believes Nigeria must expand access to productive employment while protecting legitimate professional and occupational standards.
4. A CALL TO REVIEW EXISTING RECRUITMENT RULES
Some public-service positions, security appointments, specialised training programmes and physically demanding occupations may have legitimate age-related requirements. However, such requirements should not be applied indiscriminately to every occupation.
INPLM calls for a comprehensive review of age limits across federal ministries, departments, agencies and relevant public institutions. The review should distinguish between restrictions supported by law or demonstrable occupational requirements and those that unnecessarily disqualify qualified applicants.
Where a restriction is not essential to the duties of a position, government should consider removing it or adopting a fairer assessment of competence, fitness for duty and professional suitability.
5. THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MUST REVISIT THE ISSUE
The National Assembly has previously considered legislative efforts to address age discrimination in employment. INPLM urges lawmakers to clarify the present legislative position and pursue an effective legal framework that discourages arbitrary age-based exclusion.
We recognise that Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not expressly list age among its prohibited grounds of discrimination. Section 17, however, sets out important social objectives relating to equality of opportunity and suitable employment. We therefore call for careful legislative consideration, with due regard to constitutional provisions, existing laws and legitimate occupational requirements.
6. OUR SPECIFIC DEMANDS
The Isoko-Nation Progressive Like-Minds respectfully calls on the Federal Government to:
1. Review age limits across federal institutions and identify restrictions that lack clear, job-related justification.
2. Promote merit-based recruitment, giving appropriate consideration to qualifications, competence, experience, integrity and capacity to perform the job.
3. Publish transparent eligibility criteria and explain the basis for age restrictions, particularly where they are not expressly prescribed by law.
4. Support appropriate legislation to prevent unjustified age-based exclusion in employment
5. Protect legitimate occupational standards by retaining reasonable, evidence-based requirements where necessary for safety, operational effectiveness or statutory compliance.
6. Create accessible review mechanisms for applicants who reasonably consider recruitment criteria arbitrary or inconsistently applied.
7. Expand vocational training, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship support and skills-development opportunities for Nigerians at different stages of their working lives.
8. Improve public accountability by publishing clear recruitment policies and communicating reforms to the public.
7. FAIRNESS FOR YOUNG AND OLDER NIGERIANS
This appeal is not intended to deny young Nigerians their rightful opportunities. Young people deserve entry-level jobs, graduate recruitment programmes, apprenticeships and opportunities to build meaningful careers. Equally, experienced applicants should have a fair chance to compete for positions for which they are qualified.
Nigeria can support youth employment while ensuring that qualified applicants are not unnecessarily excluded from other suitable opportunities because of age. The objective should be a balanced system that recognises merit, encourages experience, promotes productivity and provides reasonable access to employment.
8. OUR APPEAL TO PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU
Your Excellency, we respectfully urge your administration to give this issue the attention it deserves. We call for collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the National Assembly and other relevant institutions to develop practical, transparent and enforceable reforms.
A fair recruitment framework can help restore confidence in public institutions and ensure that employment opportunities are assessed against reasonable standards. We respectfully ask your administration to initiate the necessary review and communicate the resulting policy direction to Nigerians.
9. INPLM’S COMMITMENT TO CONSTRUCTIVE REFORM
Under the leadership of Comrade Ilaya Efemena Beckly, INPLM remains committed to raising issues that affect the welfare, dignity and development of Nigerians.
This appeal is not an attack on any institution or an attempt to disregard legitimate recruitment standards. It is a constructive demand for fairness, transparency and the responsible use of human resources. We call on labour organisations, professional associations, civil society groups, employers and concerned Nigerians to contribute constructively to this national conversation.
CONCLUSION: DO NOT CLOSE THE DOOR TO QUALIFIED NIGERIANS WITHOUT GOOD REASON
Your Excellency, Nigeria’s greatest resource is its people. Every qualified citizen who is willing and able to work represents an opportunity to strengthen a family, improve a community and contribute to national development.
We urge the Federal Government to review age restrictions that may unnecessarily prevent capable Nigerians from competing for employment. Let merit be recognised. Let experience be valued. Let young Nigerians have opportunities to grow, and let qualified older applicants be considered fairly where they meet the requirements of the job.
A person’s age should not automatically become a verdict on their ability, their usefulness or their right to compete for a suitable job.
INPLM respectfully calls for action—not merely promises—and trusts that the relevant authorities will give this appeal the serious consideration it deserves.
BSigned,
Comrade Ilaya Efemena Beckly
President, Isoko-Nation Progressive Like-Minds (INPLM)
Beyond Politics, It’s About the People.
ISOKO-NATION PROGRESSIVE LIKE-MINDS (INPLM)
RISING TOGETHER FOR ISOKO GREATNESS
Email: isokonationprogressivelikemind@gmail.com | Tel: 08123155435
