WorldStage– Aggrieved workers at the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) have accused the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, of reintroducing the abolished Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) scoring system to manipulate the upcoming 2026 staff promotion exercise in favour of her loyalists.
The workers allege that the resurrection of the archaic APER form, which was previously phased out across federal ministries, departments, and agencies, is being used strategically to bypass merit, stifle carrier progression, and handpick preferred personnel for key senior vacancies.
According to internal sources, tension has been brewing within the council after a circular announced over 100 candidates eligible for the promotion exercise. Workers claim that the criteria are being deliberately skewed.
They point to instances where the management allegedly fast-tracked the secondment and potential advancement of outside officers to occupy scarce senior slots, threatening the progression of long-serving internal staff.
Agitations nearly culminated in an industrial strike action mid-August, which was narrowly averted by the NEPC Senior Staff Union while Ayeni was reportedly out of the country.
In a swift reaction, the NEPC management strongly debunked the allegations of favoritism, nepotism, and procedural violations, branding them as “baseless” and orchestrated to mislead the public.
In a joint statement backed by the local branch of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), the council maintained that it remains in full compliance with federal civil service directives.
The council stated that the upcoming promotion exams follow strict guidelines, including federal rules regarding Higher National Diploma (HND) holders, which cap their advancement at Salary Grade Level 14 unless additional academic qualifications are obtained.
NEPC management further clarified that individuals named in online reports as beneficiaries of favoritism have neither sat for the exams nor been promoted.
The management urged the public and trade stakeholders to ignore the negative reports.
They emphasized that under Ayeni’s leadership since 2023, staff welfare has improved significantly, with over 75 percent of personnel receiving professional training.
They also highlighted the council’s landmark milestone of driving Nigeria’s non-oil export value to a record $6.1 billion in 2025 under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Despite management’s reassurances of institutional harmony, civil service watchdogs say the situation at the NEPC highlights ongoing friction over transparency in federal promotion exercises.
