Despite the ongoing strike by public school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory, about 5,990 education officers in the FCT Administration are sitting for promotion examinations, with officers who missed last year’s exercise due to a disruption by protesting union officials given another opportunity to take the test.
The examination, which commenced on October 5, 2026, covers officers seeking promotion from Grade Level 13 to Grade Level 17.
Recsll that the 2025 promotion examination was conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission in July last year for staff across all cadres in the administration. However, while officers in other cadres sat for their examinations, education officers were allegedly chased out of the examination hall by officials of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, FCT wing, on the two days allocated to them.
Following appeals by the affected officers, the Joint Union Action Committee, JUAC, the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASUSS, FCT chapter, and the NUT, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike approved the rescheduling of the examination in line with the Public Service Rules.
Speaking during an inspection of the examination venue, the Head of the FCTA Civil Service, Nancy Nathan, expressed satisfaction with the turnout, saying the affected officers had been given another opportunity to sit for the examination.
“I am so happy that they came out in this number for their examination. The last time, some of them were swept into the protest and could not write.
“But the Honourable Minister, in the spirit of the Renewed Hope Agenda, renewed their hope by approving that they should come and write the exams,” Nathan said.
She urged the candidates to remain orderly and take the examination seriously, noting that promotion remained an important pathway to career advancement in the public service.
Nathan also explained that promotion opportunities at higher grade levels were limited by the structure of the civil service, where fewer positions were available as officers advanced through the ranks.
She attributed some of the constraints to the implementation of the harmonised retirement age for teachers, which extended their service by five years and reduced retirement-related vacancies over the past four years.
The Head of Service, however, said opportunities remained available at lower grade levels, urging candidates to perform well, as promotion would depend on merit and available vacancies.
She added that the participating education officers would return to their respective schools after completing the examinations.
Also speaking during the inspection, the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, confirmed that approximately 5,990 education officers were participating in the exercise.
Ezeh said the examination covered officers seeking promotion from Grade Level 13 to 14 and those progressing through the higher levels up to Grade Level 17.
He commended the candidates for their turnout and orderly conduct since the exercise began on October 5, warning them against external influences and political considerations that could jeopardise their professional advancement.
The chairman reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to a transparent and merit-based promotion process.
Meanwhile, the President of the Joint Unions Action Congress, JUAC, for the FCTA and Federal Capital Development Authority, Rifkatu Iortyer, said the exercise had proceeded smoothly, with administrative officers, accountants and other cadres completing their examinations before the current phase for education officers.
Iortyer expressed satisfaction that teachers who missed the 2025 examination had been given another opportunity to sit for the test.
She said the large turnout without disruption reflected the candidates’ determination to pursue career advancement despite the ongoing industrial action involving the NUT and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, FCT chapter.
The JUAC president, however, expressed concern about the impact of the labour dispute on academic activities, urging union leaders and FCTA management to return to the negotiating table in the interest of pupils and students.
She disclosed that union leaders were engaging in informal mediation efforts to resolve the disagreement and expressed optimism that dialogue would produce a mutually acceptable outcome.
Iortyer also appealed for calm among union members, saying sustained engagement between labour leaders and the administration could prevent further escalation.
On security, the Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, said adequate arrangements had been made to ensure the peaceful conduct of the examinations.
He said security personnel had established accreditation checkpoints from the entrance gates to the examination halls to manage the large number of candidates.
Gwary attributed the orderly conduct of the exercise to security planning and the cooperation of the candidates, assuring them that adequate measures would remain in place until the examinations were concluded.
