National Council on Establishments Rules Professional Certification Not Mandatory for Civil Service Advancement

The National Council on Establishments (NCE) has resolved that membership in professional bodies and professional certifications will no longer serve as an automatic requirement for appointment, promotion, or career progression in the Nigerian public service.

The decision was detailed in the minutes of the council’s 48th meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, chaired by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, and attended by Heads of Service from state governments and the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the council’s resolution, professional memberships and certifications are primarily recognized for maintaining ethical standards, professional proficiency, and continuing development. Consequently, such credentials will not automatically determine career advancement unless explicitly stipulated in approved schemes of service for specific cadres.

The clarification addresses a long-standing practice across various public sector cadres including accounting, engineering, law, human resources, and procurement where external professional body affiliations were frequently imposed as blanket prerequisites for promotion.

The council also approved a standardized framework to govern entry points across public service cadres, noting that arbitrary enhanced entry points carry financial and structural implications for the service. Additionally, the establishment of the Paramedics Assistant Cadre (Grade Levels 04–07) and the Paramedics Technician Cadre (Grade Levels 06–14) was formally approved.

Requests for creating additional new cadres were stepped down pending the outcome of an ongoing national public service personnel audit and skills gap analysis.

The council emphasized that career progression will continue to rely on formal qualifications, performance evaluations, and criteria established within official schemes of service.