Federal Government Mandates Performance Records for Senior Officer Promotions

The Federal Government has introduced stricter requirements for the 2026 promotion exercise, making verified performance records a mandatory prerequisite for senior treasury officers seeking advancement to the directorate level. According to a new directive from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, only officers with properly completed and endorsed performance appraisals will be eligible for the upcoming promotion examinations and interviews.

This initiative is part of an ongoing transition to a merit-based system within the federal public service, replacing traditional, seniority-driven processes with the Performance Management System (PMS). Under the new guidelines, officers on Salary Grade Levels 15 and 16 must submit PMS appraisal reports for 2023, 2024, and 2025, along with their 2022 Annual Performance Evaluation Report. Officers on Salary Grade Level 14 are required to provide PMS reports for the same three-year period.

The Accountant-General’s office emphasized that all submitted documentation must be authenticated by the relevant reporting, countersigning, and reviewing officers. Officials have warned that any reports found to be incomplete, unsigned, or improperly filled will result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate. Furthermore, to accommodate departments that had not fully transitioned to the PMS by 2023, the government will use an average of an officer’s 2024 and 2025 scores as a substitute for the 2023 appraisal.

Beyond performance records, eligibility is further tied to the date of an officer’s last promotion: those on Grade Level 14 must have been promoted on or before January 1, 2023, while those on levels 15 and 16 must have received their last advancement by January 1, 2022. All documentation must be submitted to the Office of the Accountant-General no later than July 7, 2026.

This move aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, which aims to replace older evaluation methods long criticized for failing to accurately measure productivity with a results-oriented framework. By requiring measurable targets and periodic reviews, the government intends to foster a more accountable and efficient public service that prioritizes competence and service delivery.