ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has approved the promotion of 27,624 officers across four paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior, in a move aimed at addressing career stagnation, improving personnel welfare and boosting morale.
The Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Major General Abdulmalik Jibrin (retd.), disclosed this on Thursday, October 22, 2026, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the board’s meeting in Abuja.
The promotions cover personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Federal Fire Service (FFS).
Giving a breakdown, Jibrin said the NSCDC recorded the highest number of promotions, with 17,343 officers elevated to various ranks. The Nigerian Correctional Service followed with 4,601 officers, while 4,097 personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service were also promoted.
The Federal Fire Service recorded 1,583 promotions, bringing the total number of beneficiaries across the four agencies to 27,624.
Jibrin described the exercise as unprecedented and said it formed part of the board’s efforts to improve the welfare and working conditions of personnel responsible for critical national security and public safety duties.
“In keeping with this commitment, the board, at its meeting this afternoon, considered issues relating to the welfare and well-being of personnel of the four paramilitary services under its purview,” he said.
He explained that the board also considered measures designed to improve personnel welfare and strengthen morale, enabling officers to discharge their responsibilities more effectively.
Beyond the promotions, the board approved a healthcare policy framework intended to support the fitness and overall well-being of officers and personnel across the four services.
The framework is expected to provide a policy basis for addressing healthcare needs among personnel whose duties include protecting critical national assets, managing correctional facilities, controlling immigration and responding to fire emergencies.
The board also considered and approved disciplinary recommendations relating to 228 pending cases involving personnel across the agencies.
According to Jibrin, the cases had remained unresolved before the board’s meeting, but the recommendations have now been considered and the relevant disciplinary decisions communicated.
He said the measures were intended to strengthen discipline and ensure that personnel maintained appropriate standards of conduct while carrying out their duties.
The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board is responsible for appointments, promotions and disciplinary matters across the four paramilitary agencies under its supervision.
The latest promotion exercise comes amid continuing efforts to improve career progression and personnel welfare in the services. The government has repeatedly identified staff motivation and professional discipline as important factors in strengthening the agencies’ capacity to deliver on their mandates.
However, the board has not provided a detailed breakdown of the specific ranks covered by the latest exercise in the announcement cited.
The promotions are expected to affect thousands of officers across the country, although individual beneficiaries will need to rely on official communication from their respective services for details of their elevations.
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