By: Lucy Ladidi Ateko

Chairman of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Senior High Chief Tony Akiotu, has called for an upward review of the retirement age for workers in specialised agencies, proposing 65 years for personnel of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and similar institutions.

Akiotu made the call in Abuja during the retirement and public presentation of Thirty Years, Thirty Lessons: What the Public Service Taught Me About Work, People and Faith, a memoir by retiring NBC director, Mrs Pauline Ehusani.

He said the commission was experiencing a gradual loss of institutional memory as experienced personnel leave the service upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or 35 years in service.

According to him, broadcast regulation remains a specialised field requiring experienced hands, especially with emerging challenges posed by fake news, sensational content and the growing influence of digital media.

“I believe that people who work in specialised agencies like this should be made to serve the nation a little longer. Sixty-five years will make some sense,” Akiotu said.

He appealed to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Minister of Information and National Orientation to consider reviewing the retirement age for personnel in broadcast regulation and other specialised institutions.

“People all over the world are looking for ways to regulate social media. Broadcast regulation is a very serious issue and requires people with experience and institutional knowledge,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Ehusani urged young Nigerians and public servants to remain committed to their careers and not be discouraged by temporary setbacks.

“There is more beyond the laws and codes. My message to younger people is to remain dedicated, hardworking and focused. They should keep pressing on and God will help them realise their goals,” she said.

Earlier, Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, who reviewed the memoir, described the book as a testament to integrity, resilience and faithful service.

He said Ehusani’s story provided a counter-narrative to prevailing perceptions about the public service, noting that she endured years of stagnation, difficult postings and false accusations without compromising her values.

“This is not a book about a perfect career; it is a book about a faithful one,” he said, urging young officers to draw lessons from the memoir.

Also speaking, Executive Director of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Rev. Fr. Richard Ehusani, described retirement as a new phase rather than the end of productive life.

He lamented the challenges faced by many retired civil servants due to delayed pensions and inadequate welfare, urging retirees to remain active through mentoring, community service and other meaningful engagements.

Reviewing the book, Broadcast Policy and Research Officer, Dr. John Ogbole, said the 130-page memoir captures both the formal and unwritten realities of public service life, offering practical lessons on work, relationships and faith.

The memoir chronicles Ehusani’s journey from joining the NBC in 1996 to attaining the rank of director, drawing 30 lessons from nearly three decades in the public service