By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday, conducted 2026 promotion examinations for nearly 6,000 education officers.

The exercise, which entered its sixth day, marks a pivotal moment for Education Officers, Senior Education Officers, and Assistant Education Officers ranging from Grade Level 13 up to Grade Level 17.

The massive turnout comes following a special intervention by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who formally approved the participation of officers who were previously at risk of exclusion due to past misconduct and protests.

Speaking during an inspection of the examination venue, the Head of Civil Service of the FCTA, Nancy Sabanti Nathan, expressed her delight at the orderly conduct and high turnout of the candidates.

Addressing concerns regarding promotional vacancies, Nathan explained that the civil service structure naturally tapers at higher levels, creating fewer slots for senior cadres.

She also highlighted that the implementation of the harmonized retirement age for teachers—which extended their service by 5 years—has temporarily restricted vacancy openings as no retirements occurred over the last four years.

However, she reassured candidates that lower-level cadres maintain ample capacity to accommodate advancing personnel, urging sitting candidates to excel as promotions will be strictly merit-based. She confirmed that upon completion of the assessments, all participating educators will immediately return to their respective schools to resume teaching duties.

Also monitoring the exercise, the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, commended the candidates for their enthusiasm and orderly demeanor since the promotion exercise commenced on October 5, 2026.

Confirming the scope of the current phase, Ezeh disclosed that approximately 5,990 education officers are taking part in the evaluations. He cautioned the educators against falling prey to external influences or political motives that could jeopardize their professional growth.

“The exercise currently evaluates education officers across cadres ranging from level 13 advancing to 14 up to level 17,” Ezeh noted, reiterating that the Commission remains committed to a transparent, merit-driven evaluation process.

With the examination phase progressing smoothly, successful candidates are expected to fill available promotional openings across the territory’s public school system in the coming weeks.

Highlighting the progression of the promotion exercise, President of the Joint Unions Action Congress (JUAC) for the FCTA and FCDA, Comrade Rifkatu Iortyer, noted that the evaluations have run smoothly since commencing the previous week. She explained that while administrative officers, accountants, and other operational cadres completed their examinations earlier in the schedule, the current phase spanning Monday and Tuesday is dedicated specifically to education officers and teachers.

Comrade Iortyer expressed deep satisfaction over the inclusion of educators who were previously unable to sit for the August 2025 examinations.

She praised the seamless coordination of the exercise, emphasizing that the affected teachers turned out in large numbers without facing any disruptions or obstructions, marking a significant step toward restoring harmony within the workforce.

Addressing the backdrop of ongoing industrial action declared by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) FCT chapter, the JUAC President observed that educators prioritized their professional growth by attending the assessments.

She noted that while classroom activities may be affected by the strike action, the massive turnout for the examinations underscores the teachers’ commitment to their long-term career progression.

Expressing optimism for a quick resolution to the labor dispute, Comrade Iortyer revealed that union leadership is actively engaging in informal mediation between organized labor and FCTA management.

She emphasized that all parties share a responsibility to return to the negotiating table to safeguard the interest of students and ensure that normal academic activities resume across FCT schools promptly.

Regarding recent policy pronouncements by the FCT Minister concerning the industrial action, Comrade Iortyer urged patience and calm among the union rank and file.

She expressed confidence that ongoing discussions would prevent any escalation, trusting that dialogue between management and labor leaders would yield a mutually beneficial outcome before drastic measures are taken.

Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, reported that despite the thousands of educators converging on the examination center, the entire operation has remained peaceful and free of friction.

Gwary detailed the multi-layered security framework designed to handle the large influx of participants, which includes structured accreditation checkpoints starting right from the entrance gates to the examination halls.

He attributed the smooth flow of the exercise to both meticulous planning by security personnel and the exemplary cooperation demonstrated by the candidates throughout the process.

Reassuring candidates and administrators of ongoing protection, the Security Director confirmed that adequate measures remain in place for the remainder of the assessment schedule.

He expressed strong confidence that with the maintained discipline of the participants and sustained vigilance from security teams, the entire 2026 promotion exercise will conclude without any security hitches.

The Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board (ZSUBEB) has flagged off the training of 75 State and Local Government Education Authority Social Mobilisation Officers (SMOs) on the utilisation of School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) operational documents.

The training, held at the ZSUBEB Headquarters, Gusau, on Monday, was aimed at strengthening the capacity of the officers to engage communities and stakeholders on improving retention and the quality of basic education in the state.

At the formal flag-off, the Executive Chairman, ZSUBEB, Prof. Nasir Garba Anka, represented by the Permanent Member I, Madawaki Alhaji Dahiru Shehu, said social mobilisation remains critical to the success of government interventions in the education sector.

“Social Mobilisation Officers are an important link between government, schools, parents, communities, traditional and religious institutions, as well as civil society organisations and other stakeholders.”

Madawaki explained that the responsibilities of Social Mobilisation Officers go beyond information dissemination.

“They are expected to build trust, create awareness, encourage community participation, identify barriers to education and promote ownership of educational programmes.”

He emphasised that sustainable progress in basic education cannot be achieved by government alone, but requires the active participation of parents, communities, traditional and religious leaders, teachers, SBMCs and development partners.

In a goodwill message, the State Coordinator of UBEC, Zamfara State Office, Malam Tanimu Abdulkadir, who spoke on behalf of the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, and the management of the Commission, commended ZSUBEB for organising the training.

Malam Abdulkadir cited the recent Enrolment Drive Campaign at JNI Primary School, Gusau, where 87 out-of-school children were enrolled, as an example of what effective community mobilisation can achieve.

He further disclosed that UBEC has made SBMC functionality an important indicator in its school monitoring exercise.

Representatives of the Teachers Service Board, Senior Secondary Education Board and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology also pledged their continued support and collaboration.

In his remarks, the Director of Social Mobilisation, ZSUBEB, Alhaji Sani Usman Gummi, thanked the participating institutions, development partners, facilitators, organisers and other stakeholders for their contributions.

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approved the implementation of the January and July 2026 promotions of 18,984 teaching and non-teaching staff of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

The approval also provides for the release of N235, 116,339.

The decision followed a request by the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Yusuf Kabir, for funds to implement the promotions for eligible staff whose promotions for the two 2026 cycles had been processed.

In a letter dated September 2, 2026, the Board said it had completed the necessary processes, including verification of staff eligibility and computation of the corresponding salary adjustments.

According to SUBEB, the timely implementation of promotions is essential to staff motivation, career development, capacity strengthening and improved service delivery in the basic education sector.

The Board noted that SUBEB, one of the largest public institutions in Kano State, has approximately 60,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel serving across the 44 LGEAs.

It further disclosed that the present administration inherited outstanding promotion backlogs, involving arrears spanning seven years, as well as another backlog of about one-and-a-half years.

SUBEB said Governor Yusuf had previously approved and facilitated the implementation of the outstanding promotions, describing the intervention as having improved staff morale and restored confidence among personnel.

The Board said the latest approval further demonstrates the administration’s attention to the welfare and career progression of public servants in the state.

The request was subsequently ratified at a recent meeting of the Kano State Executive Council, paving the way for the release of the approved funds and the implementation of the January and July 2026 promotions.