The Federal Government has announced the commencement of a comprehensive verification exercise for all civil servants across the country and in federal establishments abroad, starting from October 16 to November 14, 2025.
The exercise, which will be conducted in partnership with Philips Consulting and other human resource firms, is aimed at updating personnel records, identifying skills gaps, and supporting strategic workforce reforms within the federal civil service.
This was disclosed in an internal memo titled “Verification Exercise” and signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Dr Didi Walson-Jack. The memo, obtained by our correspondent on Monday in Abuja, directed all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to cooperate fully with the process.
According to the memo, the verification will be carried out under the supervision of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) in line with ongoing reform efforts under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025.
“Conducted by the OHCSF in partnership with Philips Consulting and other human resources firms, this exercise will verify and update personnel records, identify skills and capacity gaps, and support workforce planning and reforms,” the memo stated.
All civil servants are expected to present themselves for verification and provide accurate information, as the outcome will form the basis for future decisions on recruitment, promotions, postings, training, and succession planning.
The initiative follows a directive by President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive Personnel and Salary System Governance Audit across the federal service to enhance transparency, professionalism, and service delivery.
Dr Walson-Jack said the verification marks a critical step towards building a modern and responsive civil service.
“This project will give us what we have long needed — a credible and verifiable personnel database that captures not just numbers, but also skills, competencies, and workforce distribution across ministries, departments, and agencies,” she said.
She added that the data gathered would support evidence-based workforce planning, strategic deployments, targeted training programmes, and transparent succession plans.
“With it, we can direct capacity building where it is most needed and plan for the next generation of civil servants,” she added.
The HCSF emphasised that the verification exercise is a foundational reform effort to ensure that the federal civil service becomes more agile, competent, and accountable to the Nigerian people.
The verification will cover both core civil service and workers in non-core federal establishments, including Nigerian diplomatic missions and agencies operating outside the country.
Observers note that this exercise is expected to help clean up the federal payroll, eliminate ghost workers, and align personnel with the needs of government for improved governance outcomes.
All MDAs have been urged to ensure full participation and compliance as the process gets underway.
