The Federal Government has tightened the process for admitting newly recruited civil servants into its payroll, making the completion of mandatory documentation and eligibility checks a prerequisite for salary enrolment.
The new measures, which take immediate effect, are designed to prevent irregular recruitment entries, strengthen accountability and ensure that only duly approved employees receive salaries through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.
The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation announced the directive in a statement issued on Monday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa.
Under the revised guidelines, ministries, departments and agencies must first capture newly recruited employees on their nominal rolls and ensure that they meet all prescribed validation requirements before seeking their enrolment on the federal payroll.
The office stated, “Henceforth, no newly recruited employee shall be enrolled without first being captured on the nominal roll of the relevant MDA and satisfying all prescribed validation and eligibility requirements.”
The new procedure also requires MDAs to submit formal applications to the OAGF, supported by relevant recruitment approvals, appointment letters, applicable waivers and other necessary documents.
These records will be examined alongside employees’ personal details, salary structures, grade levels, steps, allowances and other financial entitlements before approval is granted.
The verification will also cover statutory information required for deductions and remittances, including Pension Fund Administrator details, pension identification numbers, National Housing Fund registration and tax records.
According to the OAGF, “The validation process will also cover statutory details, including Pension Fund Administrator information, pension identification numbers, National Housing Fund registration and tax records to ensure accurate deductions and timely remittances.”
After the initial checks, the employee records will be returned to the respective MDAs for further confirmation and endorsement by the Accounting Officer, Director of Human Resources, Director of Finance and Accounts, as well as the designated Payroll Validating Officer.
The endorsed documents will subsequently be forwarded to the OAGF for final processing, while the Accountant-General of the Federation retains the authority to approve the admission of new employees into the federal payroll.
The statement emphasised that “Final admission into the Federal Government payroll will be subject to satisfactory completion of all validation procedures and the approval of the Accountant-General of the Federation.”
It warned that applications with missing documents or unresolved discrepancies would be withheld until the affected institutions corrected the identified irregularities.
“Any employee record with incomplete documentation or unresolved discrepancies will be deferred from payroll admission until all prescribed conditions are fulfilled,” the office added.
The OAGF further warned that officials involved in processing and approving payroll entries would be held responsible for breaches of the revised guidelines.
Permanent Secretaries, heads of agencies and other relevant officials have consequently been directed to ensure strict compliance with the new requirements.
The directive covers both ongoing and future applications for the enrolment of newly recruited federal workers and forms part of the government’s broader efforts to reform IPPIS, improve transparency and strengthen the management of personnel expenditure.
It also places greater responsibility on MDAs to ensure that their nominal rolls are consistent with approved recruitment records and available personnel budgets.
