FG Orders Full Civil Service Audit, Gives Strict Deadlines

DDM News

The Federal Government has initiated a comprehensive audit of the Nigerian civil service, mandating all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to submit updated nominal rolls and officer records through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) confirms that this directive was issued via a circular dated July 7, 2025, signed by Fatima Mahmoud, Permanent Secretary of the Career Management Office, on behalf of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Didi Walson-Jack.

The measure aims to streamline workforce planning, detect vacancies, and ensure structured human resource deployment across all levels of government service.

According to the circular, MDAs are to compile an up-to-date list of officers, particularly those under the “common pool” of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service.

A nominal roll is a key document in public administration, serving as the official list of government employees and used for tracking personnel strength, departmental positioning, and employment status.

The circular emphasized that accurate recordkeeping is critical for government-wide decision-making and will also aid in detecting ghost workers and redundant posts.

To fast-track the process, strict submission deadlines were outlined.

Directorate-level officers on Grade Levels 15 to 17 are required to be reported within three days of the circular’s issuance.

Meanwhile, records of officers on Grade Levels 06 to 14 must be submitted within two weeks.

The IPPIS Human Resource Desk Officers in each agency were further instructed to update officers’ grades, job titles, and dates of first appointment to ensure alignment with existing payroll and staffing records.

Walson-Jack’s office warned that full compliance is not optional.

Permanent Secretaries and Accounting Officers of all MDAs were specifically directed to take personal responsibility for ensuring that their agencies meet the stipulated deadlines.

Analysts say the audit is a continuation of the government’s long-standing efforts to reform the civil service, reduce payroll fraud, and improve public sector efficiency.

The IPPIS platform, which was introduced during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration but became more robust under successive governments, has been central to digitalizing salary payments and employee data.

Civil servants across the country are expected to cooperate with their HR departments in verifying and updating their information during the audit window.

Failure to comply may result in exclusion from future promotions, benefits, or even salary processing delays.

The audit represents a renewed push by the Bola Tinubu-led administration to clean up the federal payroll and ensure effective succession planning within the public service.

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