Training & Development

Training & Development

Quick Answer: The Nigerian Federal Civil Service develops officers through induction/orientation at entry, in-service and on-the-job training, study fellowships and sabbaticals, and structured courses at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) and MDA training units. Training is linked to career progression: mandatory courses (such as ASCON's Administrative Officers' courses and promotion-related training) are prerequisites for confirmation and promotion, and APER/PMS reports identify training needs. ASCON, established by Decree No. 39 of 1973, is the premier public-sector management training institution.

Induction and Orientation

Induction (orientation) is the first training an officer receives on appointment. It introduces the new officer to:

• the structure, mission, and rules of the Ministry, Department, or Agency (MDA);
• the Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations, and code of conduct obligations;
• the officer's specific duties, reporting lines, and grade-level expectations;
• service-wide systems such as IPPIS, the performance management system, and record-keeping.

For officers entering through the Administrative Officer cadre or specialist cadres, ASCON and MDA training units deliver structured induction courses. Induction is often a prerequisite for the first confirmation examination during probation.

In-Service and On-the-Job Training

In-service training develops officers while they remain at post. Forms include:

• on-the-job training — learning by working alongside experienced officers;
• short courses and workshops — organised by MDA training units, ASCON, and other approved institutes on topics such as procurement, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, leadership, ICT, and project management;
• competency-based professional development — aligned with the FCSSIP competency framework;
• job rotation and posting — broadens exposure across departments.

MDA training units (often called Human Resource Development departments) maintain a training calendar, nominate officers for courses, and track training records that feed back into the APER/PMS.

Study Fellowship and Sabbatical

The Federal Civil Service supports advanced study through:

• Study fellowship — officers may be sponsored for postgraduate study (usually full-time) in fields relevant to their cadres, typically with a bond to return to service for a defined period.
• Sabbatical / study leave — senior officers may be granted leave to undertake research, teaching, or specialised study, with continued service obligations.
• Scholarships and travel fellowships — ASCON's enabling Act authorises it to award grants, scholarships, and travel fellowships for research in public administration and allied subjects.

Sponsorship is usually tied to APER performance and to areas of skills gap identified by the MDA.

ASCON: Mandate and Role

The Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) was established by Decree No. 39 of 1973 (now the ASCON Act) and is headquartered at Topo, Badagry, Lagos State, with zonal offices in Port Harcourt, Minna, Kano, and an Abuja liaison office. It is the premier public-sector management training institution in Nigeria.

Its statutory objects include:

1. providing higher management training for senior executives in the public and private sectors;
2. providing and arranging comparative study and investigation of the principles and techniques of management and administration;
3. conducting research into problems of management and administration;
4. awarding grants, scholarships, and travel fellowships for research in public administration;
5. establishing and maintaining a library;
6. organising study courses, conferences, lectures, and seminars;
7. publishing journals, research papers, and books.

ASCON delivers:

• Mandatory / career-progressive courses — Administrative Officers' Mandatory Courses, promotion-related training, induction courses for newly appointed officers, and the Mandatory Training Programme for Chief Executives of Federal Government Parastatals and Agencies;
• Short courses and workshops — leadership and management, public finance and budgeting, human resource management, policy analysis, ICT, monitoring and evaluation, project management, and public procurement;
• Diploma and certification programmes — Diploma in Public Administration and certificate programmes;
• Customised / in-house training — tailor-made programmes for MDAs;
• e-Learning and virtual training — online courses and virtual classrooms.

For the COMPRO exam, the key point is that ASCON is the institutional anchor of federal civil-service training and runs the mandatory courses that feed promotion.

MDA Training Units and Other Institutes

Each MDA maintains a training unit (often within Human Resource Management) that:

• prepares annual training plans and budgets;
• nominates officers for ASCON and other approved courses;
• maintains the training database used in APER/PMS and promotion;
• coordinates departmental on-the-job training.

Other public-sector training institutions include the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru; the Central Bank of Nigeria Learning Centre; and various professional councils. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation sets service-wide training policy under FCSSIP.

Link Between Training and Career Progression

Training is not optional decoration; it is wired into progression:

The APER/PMS form includes a section on training needs, and reporting officers recommend specific courses. Under FCSSIP 2021-2025, competency-based training is tied to the PMS key-competencies weighting (20%), so an officer's training record affects both promotion scores and the appraisal itself. An officer who skips mandatory training can be held back from promotion even with good APER scores.

Quick Comparison: ASCON vs MDA Training Units

Code of Conduct Intersection

Training and conduct rules intersect: officers sponsored for study fellowship remain bound by the Code of Conduct (Fifth Schedule) and the PSR discipline rules, and a breach during study leave (for example, operating a foreign bank account on a study fellowship abroad) can be referred to both the CCB and the FCSC. The training bond itself is a service obligation enforceable through surcharge or termination if the officer fails to return.