FG Launches Selection Process for Five Permanent Secretaries, Targets New Ministries
FG Launches Selection Process for Five Permanent Secretaries, Targets New Ministries
The Federal Government has initiated the appointment process for five new permanent secretaries, three of whom will take charge of recently established ministries.
A circular from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) revealed that the recruitment is open exclusively to qualified directors in the mainstream Federal Civil Service.
Signed by Head of Service Didi Walson-Jack, the memo explained that the new appointments will address vacancies for Imo State and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside three zonal positions created following the formation of new ministries. To ensure fair regional representation, the three zonal posts will first be assigned to eligible candidates from the North-Central, North-East, and South-East geopolitical zones—selected in alphabetical order.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
Be substantive directors on Grade Level 17 in the Federal Civil Service.
Have at least two years’ experience at the directorate level.
Be verified on the IPPIS platform as confirmed government staff.
Not be due for retirement before December 31, 2026.
Provide proof of state of origin for the advertised vacancy (female applicants cannot claim indigeneship through marriage).
Have no pending disciplinary cases.
The circular further instructed serving permanent secretaries to certify in their endorsements that applicants are free of disciplinary matters. It also requested supporting documents, including confidential and personal files of eligible directors, updated CVs, and both hard and soft copies of a brief profile for each candidate.
Submissions must reach the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase II, Abuja, by 4:00 pm on August 12, 2025.
Recent Appointment Trends
Since assuming office, President Bola Tinubu has appointed 26 permanent secretaries to fill leadership gaps. In November 2023, he swore in eight new appointees, followed by another eight in June 2024. December 2024 saw eight more permanent secretaries appointed, while two additional appointments were made in March 2025.
By Haruna Yakubu Haruna
