Dr Didi Walson-Jack
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has fixed October 16 to November 14, 2025, for a nationwide verification exercise of all civil servants across ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), and foreign missions, in a renewed effort to enhance transparency and curb payroll fraud in the public sector.
The exercise will be coordinated by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) in collaboration with Philips Consulting and other human resource management partners.
According to an internal memo signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Didi Walson-Jack, the verification aims to eliminate ghost workers, correct inaccurate personnel data, and match civil servants’ skills with their job functions.
“This is not a witch-hunt,” Walson-Jack said. “It is a strategic, data-driven reform designed to ensure that only qualified and verifiable employees remain on the government payroll.”
“A credible and verifiable database is essential for effective workforce planning and performance management,” the memo added. “It will guide future decisions on recruitment, promotion, training, and succession planning.”
