The Federal Government has fixed Tuesday, March 31, 2026, as the final date for the verification of civil servants within the Federal Civil Service pool.
In a memo issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, workers who do not complete the exercise risk being removed from the Federal Government’s payroll.
The move is part of ongoing efforts by the government to eliminate ghost workers from the system.
The memo read, “The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation wishes to remind all Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Offices that the Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis consist of two mandatory components, namely: Personnel Verification, and Skill Assessment and Competency Analysis.
“Accordingly, all Federal Civil Servants who have yet to complete any or both components of the PASGA exercise are strongly advised, in their own interest, to do so on or before 31st March 2026 to ensure eligibility for the issuance of the requisite Certificates of Completion by the assigned Cluster Consultant to the Ministry and Extra-Ministerial! Department.
“All staff are required to submit their Skills Assessment Completion Certificate and Personnel Verification Completion Certificate, as evidence of having concluded the entire exercise, to the Director of Human Resource Management of their respective MDAs.
“ Accordingly, such officers who fail to comply shall be liable to appropriate administrative sanctions in line with extant rules and regulations which may include their suspension from the payroll, pending compliance.
“All Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments are enjoined to give this Circular the widest circulation for the information and strict compliance of all affected Officers.”
The verification directive follows the Federal Government’s rollout of a comprehensive Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis in 2025 aimed at assessing the structure and capacity of the civil service workforce.
Initially, civil servants were expected to complete both the personnel verification and skill assessment components by mid-December 2025 to obtain their certificates before the deadline was later extended.
Findings indicate that the exercise is designed to uncover staffing gaps, identify areas where skills are lacking, and support the development of targeted training programmes aligned with national priorities.
Outcomes from the PASGA exercise are also expected to shape government decisions on recruitment, career advancement, and resource distribution to enhance the performance and efficiency of the Federal Civil Service.