Wike approves fresh promotion exams for 5,990 FCTA education officers

No fewer than 5,990 education officers in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have begun their 2026 promotion examinations after Minister Nyesom Wike approved a fresh opportunity for those who missed the 2025 exercise following a disruption.

The examination, which commenced on October 5, entered its sixth day on Monday, with teachers and education officers seeking promotion from Grade Level 13 to Grade Level 17 participating.

The intervention followed the disruption of the 2025 promotion examinations for education officers after officials of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter, allegedly chased candidates out of the examination hall during the two days allocated to the education cadre.

The 2025 exercise, conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission in July, covered staff across various cadres of the administration. While other officers completed their examinations, the affected education officers were unable to participate.

Following appeals from the affected officers and labour groups, including the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), FCT chapter, and the NUT, Wike approved the rescheduling of the examination.

Speaking during an inspection of the examination venue, the Head of the FCTA Civil Service, Nancy Sabanti Nathan, commended the candidates for their turnout and orderly conduct.

Nathan said the minister’s approval had restored hope to officers who were unable to sit for the previous 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,” she said.

She urged the candidates to take the exercise seriously, noting that promotion was an important aspect of career progression in the public service.

Nathan explained that promotion opportunities at higher grade levels were limited by the civil service structure, which provides fewer positions as officers advance through the ranks.

She also attributed some of the constraints to the implementation of the harmonised retirement age for teachers, which extended their years of service by five years and reduced retirement-related vacancies over the past four years.

However, she said opportunities remained available at lower levels, stressing that promotions would depend on candidates’ performance and available vacancies.

The Head of Service added that participating education officers would return to their respective schools after completing the examinations.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, confirmed that approximately 5,990 officers were taking part in the current phase of the promotion exercise.

Ezeh said the assessment covered officers seeking advancement from Grade Level 13 to 14 and through to Grade Level 17.

He commended the candidates for maintaining order since the examination began and warned them against allowing external interests or political considerations to undermine their professional advancement.

The commission, he added, remained committed to a transparent and merit-based promotion process.

Meanwhile, the President of JUAC for the FCTA and Federal Capital Development Authority, Rifkatu Iortyer, said the examination had proceeded smoothly after administrative officers, accountants and other cadres completed their assessments.

Iortyer welcomed the decision to give affected teachers another opportunity, saying the large turnout without disruption demonstrated their determination to advance their careers despite the ongoing industrial dispute involving the NUT and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), FCT chapter.

She, however, expressed concern about the impact of the labour dispute on academic activities and called on the unions and FCTA management to return to the negotiating table in the interest of pupils and students.

According to her, union leaders were pursuing informal mediation efforts to resolve the disagreement, expressing optimism that dialogue would produce an acceptable outcome.

She also appealed for calm among union members, urging both sides to sustain engagement to 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 explained that 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 exercise to security planning and the cooperation of candidates, assuring them that the arrangements would remain in place until the examinations were concluded.