FCT Civil Service promotion exam goes digital with 915 directors facing Nigeria’s first tech-driven promotion test under Renewed Hope Agenda
FCT Civil Service promotion exam has officially entered a new era, as 915 assistant and deputy directors began Nigeria’s first-ever computer-based promotion examination on Tuesday in Abuja.
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Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission, Emeka Eze, said the shift to digital testing is part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He emphasized that the innovation is aimed at boosting transparency, removing external pressure, and ensuring that only the most qualified individuals rise to key leadership positions.
The directors sitting for the exam are drawn from the Universal Basic Education Board, Secondary Education Board, Education Secretariat, and other FCT agencies.
The exercise, Eze explained, will be conducted in phases, with results expected promptly.
“The idea is that as we are finishing the result today, by next week the result is out. So there’s no possibility of anybody putting pressure on anybody for it,” Eze said.
According to him, the initiative sets a national precedent, making FCT the first commission in Nigeria to conduct computer-based promotion assessments.
Eze also disclosed that the exercise had exposed instances of age falsification in civil service records. Individuals involved have since been retired from the system.
The promotion drive is part of efforts to clear a backlog of promotions that had built up over several years.
When Minister Nyesom Wike took office in August 2023, some cases dating back to 2019 were already resolved up to the deputy director level.
Speaking on the process, Martins Azubuike, representing the South-East on the commission, affirmed that promotion will be strictly based on performance in the exam.
He noted the long-term goal is to encourage civil servants to enhance their digital literacy and align with today’s technology-driven governance.
As the commission continues its workforce verification exercise, Eze assured that remaining backlog issues would be addressed as soon as the process is completed.
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The new promotion model marks a bold step toward accountability and modernization in Nigeria’s public sector.
