The Federal Government has commenced the process of appointing five new Permanent Secretaries into the federal civil service, following the approval of President Bola Tinubu. The appointments are to fill vacancies created by recent retirements and the establishment of new ministries.
According to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), two of the vacancies arose from the retirement of Permanent Secretaries representing Imo State and the Federal Capital Territory, while three additional slots have been created to represent the North-Central, North-East, and South-East geopolitical zones, in line with the expansion of ministerial portfolios.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Mrs. Eno Olotu. She explained that the process has been designed to guarantee transparency, merit, and credibility in keeping with the administration’s pledge to strengthen professionalism and good governance within the public service.
Eligibility for the positions, she noted, is restricted to serving officers on Grade Level 17 who have spent a minimum of two years on that level, and who have been cleared by their respective Permanent Secretaries as not facing any disciplinary action. In addition, all applicants are required to undergo comprehensive vetting and asset declarations.
The process began with the screening of qualified candidates by a committee of Permanent Secretaries under the watch of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). Candidates were also required to submit asset declaration forms to the Code of Conduct Bureau, while further clearances from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ICPC, and DSS are still ongoing.
Walson-Jack confirmed that the next stage of the selection exercise, a written examination, would be held on Monday, September 15, at a Federal Government facility in Abuja. Successful candidates will proceed to an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) proficiency test on September 17. The final stage, an oral interview scheduled for September 19, will be conducted by a high-powered panel comprising serving and retired Permanent Secretaries, former Heads of the Civil Service, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, and representatives of the private sector.
She further emphasized that anti-corruption agencies would also observe the selection process, and that the final list of recommended candidates would be submitted to President Tinubu for approval. This, she said, underscores government’s determination to entrench professionalism, strengthen institutional capacity, and improve service delivery in the civil service.
Since assuming office in 2023, President Tinubu has approved the appointment of no fewer than 26 Permanent Secretaries to fill various vacancies in the service. Eight were sworn in in November 2023, another eight in June 2024, followed by eight more in December 2024, and two additional appointments in March 2025. The current exercise brings the number of new appointments under his administration even higher, reflecting ongoing reforms in the federal bureaucracy.
