FG Demands Performance Records for Senior Civil Service Promotions

The Federal Government has implemented stringent new conditions for the promotion of senior treasury officials, making it compulsory for candidates to present verified performance records to advance to directorate-level positions in the upcoming 2026 promotion cycle. This initiative, spearheaded by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, aims to bolster accountability and embed a system of merit-based career progression across the Federal Public Service.

Only officers who provide duly completed, verified, and appropriately endorsed performance appraisal reports will be eligible to participate in the 2026 directorate-level promotion examination and subsequent interview. This directive was conveyed via a circular dated June 23, 2026, and bears the signature of Dauda Abdulhamid, the Director (Administration), acting on behalf of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

According to the circular, officers on Salary Grade Levels (SGL) 15 and 16 are mandated to submit their fully completed Performance Management System (PMS) appraisal reports for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. This requirement is in addition to their Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) for 2022. The Accountant-General’s Office emphasized the necessity for every appraisal report to be meticulously completed and authenticated by the relevant reporting, countersigning, and reviewing officers. It issued a strong warning that any incomplete, unsigned, or improperly filled reports would be rejected for the promotion exercise.

“In furtherance of the implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) in the Federal Public Service and in line with extant guidelines governing promotion exercises, the following Performance Appraisal Reports shall be submitted in respect of eligible officers,” the circular explicitly stated. It further instructed officers on Salary Grade Levels 15 and 16 to submit their PMS appraisal reports for 2023, 2024, and 2025, alongside their 2022 Annual Performance Evaluation Report.

Similarly, officers occupying Salary Grade Level 14 are also required to submit their Performance Management System appraisal reports for 2023, 2024, and 2025 as part of the mandatory promotion prerequisites. The Accountant-General’s Office reiterated that only genuinely authenticated performance documentation would be accepted.

“All PMS Performance Appraisal Reports submitted for the exercise must be properly completed and duly endorsed by the appropriate Reporting, Countersigning and Reviewing Officers,” the circular affirmed, adding a stern caution: “Incomplete, unsigned or improperly filled appraisal reports shall not be accepted for the purpose of the promotion exercise.”

Recognizing that some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) had not fully adopted the Performance Management System in 2023, the circular provided a contingency. For officers from such MDAs, the average of their PMS scores obtained in 2024 and 2025 will be used as their 2023 PMS score for the purpose of determining eligibility and assessment during the promotion exercise.

The government also cautioned that any officer found submitting documents late, providing incomplete documentation, falsifying records, or failing to adhere to any of the specified requirements would be disqualified from the 2026 directorate-level promotion examination and interview.

Beyond performance, the circular outlined specific service duration criteria. Officers on Salary Grade Level 14 must have secured their last promotion on or before January 1, 2023, while those on Salary Grade Levels 15 and 16 must have received their last promotion on or before January 1, 2022, to qualify for the exercise.

Heads of departments, units, and treasury offices have been instructed to ensure that all promotion briefs, appraisal reports, and other supporting documents are complete, accurate, and submitted to the Office of the Director (Administration), Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, no later than July 7, 2026.

This latest directive represents another significant stride in the Federal Government’s ongoing effort to transition from automatic, seniority-driven promotions to a system that prioritizes measurable performance and competence across the entire civil service. The Performance Management System was initially introduced as a key reform under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, designed to replace the conventional Annual Performance Evaluation Report, which had faced criticism for its inadequacy in accurately measuring employee productivity and outcomes.

Unlike its predecessor, the PMS mandates civil servants to collaborate with their supervisors to establish annual work plans and quantifiable performance targets, with periodic reviews conducted to assess the achievement of these objectives. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has championed this reform as a cornerstone in its strategy to cultivate a more efficient, accountable, and results-oriented public service. The Accountant-General’s recent circular reinforces this policy direction by making verified performance records, rather than merely years of service or success in promotion examinations, a pivotal factor in career progression to the directorate cadre. This move is anticipated to enhance transparency in the promotion process while simultaneously encouraging civil servants to prioritize productivity, accountability, and effective service delivery as essential benchmarks for advancement.