The Nigerian Government owns several organisations and has millions of citizens as employees working in different organisations. It is a necessity to monitor and improve the affairs and performance of the following employees in different settings.
Hence, the reason for the establishment of the Federal Civil Service. The Commission has been in existence even before the moment Nigeria gained its independence in 1960 from British colonial rule. Initially, the name was Federal Public Service Commission before it was renamed.
However, they did not start as a separate commission instead they were at first an advisory board to the Governor-General. The board has a panel whose members are the Commissioner, the Director of Education, or his representative, and one official representative of each of the Regional Boards.
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The board works closely with the Governor-General on matters that concern the assessment and recommendation of the various candidates that wish to work in public service.Â
The 1st of April, 1954 is the date that the commission was established fully and backed by the law and constitution. In addition, in 1956, they were given the freedom from just being on advisory duties to become a body that has the power to recruit, promote and discipline federal civil servants in Nigeria.
The commission is headed by the Chairman which is an appointee of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The legislative arm is responsible for vetting the appointed personnel before the confirmation of the position. The head office of the commission is located at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (FCT)
Structure
The organisation structure of the Federal Civil Service Commission has the Chairman as the head alongside other four members, who are appointed by the President of Nigeria (including the Chairman).
The Commission is divided into several departments and units with each section headed by a Director responsible for the running of the department. The Commission also has several regional and state offices, which are responsible for implementing the policies and decisions of the Commission at the local level.
The departments and units in the Federal Service Commission include:
- Human Resources Department
- Legal Unit
- Finance and Accounts Department
- Information and Communications Technology Department
- Recruitment and Appointment Department
- Planning, Research, and Statistics Department
- Press and Publications Unit
- Discipline and Appeal Department
- Promotion DepartmentÂ
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Roles of the Federal Civil Service Commission
The Federal Civil Service Commission is responsible for maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the Federal Civil Service in Nigeria by ensuring that the right people with the right qualifications are recruited, promoted, and disciplined in the right way.
The roles of the federal civil service commission can be categorized into three categories which are:Â
- Recruitment and Appointment
- Promotions, Recommendations, and Approval
- Discipline and Appeal
Below are some of the roles that the commission performs:Â
- Developing and implementing policies and procedures for the recruitment, appointment, and promotion of civil servants in the federal government
- Conducting examinations and interviews for the selection of candidates for appointment to the civil service
- Investigating and resolving complaints of misconduct or violation of service rules by civil servants
- Advising the President and other government officials on matters related to the civil service
- Monitoring the performance of civil servants and recommending measures to improve efficiency and effectiveness
- Collaborating with other government agencies and improving the overall functioning of the civil service.
- Handling the transfer of federal civil servants from one unit or location to another
- Disciplinary action against federal civil servants
- Management of pension and gratuity schemes for federal civil servants
- Management of the federal civil service wage bill
- Implementation of policies and regulations related to federal civil service.
- Maintenance of a centralised personnel data management system
- Representation of Nigeria in international civil service matters.
- Development of human resource management policies and strategies
- Conduct of research on civil service issues.
- Maintenance of discipline and integrity in the federal civil service.
- Provision of support services to federal civil servants
Recruitment into the Federal Civil Service Commission
There are not too many openings in the Federal Civil Service Commission. However, the commission always puts out information about any vacancies available. You can get this information on the website, their verified social handles, and the media.
Do not be swayed away by information from other sources about the recruitment offers as there are many scammers out there giving out false information to swindle people of their money.
Once the recruitment begins, the commission ensures that the general public gets the information. Interested applicants should visit the websites to check for the available job positions and the requirements attached to such positions.
At the start date of the recruitment process, the commission will open its portal where people can log in to get the application form for the recruitment. The application form is completely free. Disregard any platform that demands you to pay to get the application. Ensure to complete the process before the closing date of the application.
However, it is necessary to give much consideration to the listed requirements for the job position that you wish to apply for. You need to understand to make sure that you are eligible to apply for such a position.
The recruitment board of the commission will vet the applications of the interested candidates and shortlist the qualified candidates for employment.
Mind you, the slots are usually not many and we have a large pool of candidates vying for the slots. Hence, the competition is always high.
You must know the following if you want to apply for jobs in the Federal Civil Service Commission.
- You must not have a criminal record.
- The maximum age considered for employment is 30 years and the minimum age is 18 years.
- You must be a literate individual and must have the minimum educational requirements for the job.
- Have a well-formatted professional CV/resume (both hard and soft copies).
Final Notes on Federal Service Commission
The Federal Civil Service Commission is a government organisation that the Nigerian government uses as a tool to cater to recruitment, promotion, training, disciplining, and well-being of the civil servants in the country.
The commission has been on mandate right from 1954 when it was established as a commission. Going through the article, we talk about a couple of things about the commission touching on the areas of history, organisation, structures, roles, and recruitment into the commission.
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