No fewer than 10,700 civil servants in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have commenced the 2026 promotion examination as the FCT Civil Service Commission moves to clear the way for annual promotion exercises without backlogs from 2027.
The examination, which began in Abuja on Monday, is expected to continue through next week across designated centres in the nation’s capital.
Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, said the Commission had cleared all outstanding promotion backlogs inherited since it became operational in 2024.
He said the development would enable the Commission to conduct only the corresponding annual promotion exercise from 2027.
“About 10,700 of them are going to have the exam that started today. It’s going to run throughout this week up to next week, and we believe that at the end of the exercise, those who are successful will be promoted,” Ezeh said.
According to him, the exercise is in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the directive of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, that civil servants should be promoted as and when due.
“In 2026, the Commission has cleared all the backlogs of all the outstanding promotions, so that by 2027, we’ll be conducting only the 2027 promotion exercise,” he said.
‘We learnt from past mistakes’
Ezeh said the Commission had introduced measures to address challenges encountered during previous promotion examinations, including overcrowding, delays and technical glitches.
He said the measures included an earlier commencement of the examination, use of generators to minimise dependence on AEDC power supply and a first-come, first-served system for issuing examination cards.
“With each outing, we learn from the mistakes of the previous one. Part of what we have learned is that we needed to start on time and be sure we are on generator rather than being on AEDC so that the issue of glitches will not arise,” he said.
He added that early arrivals were allowed to write their examinations and leave, thereby ensuring a continuous flow of candidates at the centres.
Promotion not automatic
The Commission chairman warned candidates that meeting the minimum examination score would not automatically guarantee promotion.
He explained that promotion was based on three major conditions: the required period in the current position, attainment of the prescribed minimum score and availability of vacancies.
According to him, officers from Level 7 to below Level 14 must have spent at least three years in their current positions, while officers on the Directorate cadre, from Assistant Director upwards, must have spent at least four years.
Candidates must also have no disciplinary cases.
“The Public Service Rule and our guideline for appointment for promotion says that promotion shall be based on merit only,” Ezeh said.
Giving an example, he said where there were only three vacancies and 10 qualified candidates, the three highest-scoring candidates would be selected for promotion.
He stressed that candidates who met the cut-off but were not selected because of limited vacancies should not regard themselves as having failed.
“It does not mean that others did not pass; they met the minimum cut-off mark, but there are others who performed better than them. So we choose the best among those who are successful,” he said.
JUAC backs improved process
The Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), FCT/FCDA, which monitored the examination, commended the Commission for improvements in the organisation of the exercise.
JUAC Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, said the monitoring team observed reduced overcrowding, improved ventilation and better lighting compared with the previous exercise.
“There is a great improvement compared to the previous one. The venue was not overpopulated, and there is actually proper ventilation. I can see fans all over. There are well-lit points everywhere; it is looking bright,” he said.
Saleh, however, said teachers were seeking special consideration in promotion because of the essential nature of their profession.
“Teachers claim that they are professionals and they need to be given preferential treatment, that FCTA or Civil Service Commission should look into their case and see how they can waive vacancy arrangement for them because they are giving essential services of impacting knowledge to the populace,” he said.
He disclosed that discussions were ongoing between the FCT Administration, the Minister and the unions, adding that Wike had directed the parties to maintain the status quo pending further deliberations.
Security tightened
The FCTA Department of Security Services said adequate security arrangements had been deployed to ensure a smooth and disruption-free examination.
The department’s Director, Adamu Gwary, said necessary measures were in place across the examination centres.
Some candidates, including Temitope Kayode and Adama Zakari of the Abuja Infrastructure Investment Centre, also commended the orderly conduct of the exercise.
The examination is expected to continue through next week, with the Commission insisting that the exercise is part of efforts to institutionalise timely, transparent and merit-based career progression in the FCT public service.
