FG Begins Recruitment for New Permanent Secretaries in Newly Established Ministries

The Federal Government has launched the recruitment process for five new permanent secretaries, three of whom will lead newly established ministries.

A memo from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation outlines the details of the recruitment process, which is open to qualified directors in the Federal Civil Service.

The memo, signed by the Head of the Civil Service, Didi Walson-Jack, stated:

“Following the approval of Mr. President, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is set to commence the process for the appointment of five permanent secretaries. These appointments will fill existing and impending vacancies for Imo State and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as three newly created rotational zonal positions arising from the establishment of additional ministries. To ensure equitable representation, the three zonal positions will, in the first instance, be filled by eligible candidates from three geo-political zones, selected based on alphabetical order — the North-Central, North-East, and South-East.”

According to the memo, eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be directors on Grade Level 17 in the Federal Civil Service.

• Have been verified on the IPPIS portal as confirmed staff members of the Federal Government.

• Have at least two years of experience as directors.

• Not be due for retirement before December 31, 2026.

• Provide proof of indigeneship of the state where the vacancy exists (female applicants must not claim indigeneship through marriage).

• Have no pending disciplinary actions against them.

The circular also requires serving permanent secretaries to confirm in their forwarding letters that all applicants are free from disciplinary cases. In addition, the following documents must be submitted:

• A list of eligible directors on GL 17.

• The confidential and personal files of all eligible directors.

• Two copies of each applicant’s CV.

• A brief on each eligible director, both in hard and soft copy, using the prescribed format.

The documents must be submitted to the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase II, Block A, 4th Floor, Abuja, by 4:00 PM (WAT) on August 12, 2025.

Since President Bola Tinubu took office, 26 permanent secretaries have been appointed to fill existing vacancies in the federal civil service. Notably, in November 2023, eight new permanent secretaries were sworn in, followed by another eight in June 2024. In December 2024, eight more were appointed, and two new permanent secretaries were added in March 2025.