In a significant development, the Nigerian government has announced that professional or license certifications are no longer required for entry into the civil and public service.

This decision was made during a meeting of the National Council on Establishment in Lagos, as stated in a circular dated April 12, 2021, signed by the Head of Service, Yemi-Esan.

The circular reads: “The National Council on Establishment resolved that professional certificates shall no longer serve as entry qualifications into any cadre in the Civil/Public Service. Only academic qualifications such as Junior and Senior Secondary School Certificates, NECO, GCE, ND, NCE, HND, University degrees, and postgraduate degrees shall apply.”

This decision comes in response to professional bodies’ insistence that certification is compulsory for entry into civil/public service. Earlier this month, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) warned professional bodies to operate within existing agreements, stating that overstepping their bounds would attract severe consequences.

The Executive Secretary of NBTE emphasized that some professional bodies are overstepping their bounds, even going so far as to stop the mobilization of graduates at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). This issue has now been resolved, and NYSC has stopped aiding this illegality.”