Promotion Scandal Rocks Nigerian Export Agency NEPC As Director Faces Nepotism Allegations Over Microbiology Graduate Favoured For Finance Director Role

The Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, has been accused of manipulating the council’s promotion process by allegedly replacing qualified candidates with a microbiology graduate, Mr. Abayomi Akodu, who was approved by the Head of Service (HOS) to take a promotion examination to become Director (Finance), reportedly on humanitarian grounds.

‘Unqualified Candidates Favoured’

A source told SaharaReporters that Nonye removed eligible candidates from the original list approved by the Head of Department (HOD) and replaced them with another list that included Mr. Akodu—despite his academic background not aligning with the requirements for the finance directorate position.

The source said there has never been a precedent where NEPC wrote to the HOS requesting that a staff member be allowed to take a promotion examination on humanitarian grounds.

The source challenges the NEPC to produce such an approval.

According to the source, “In any case, why is this so-called humanitarian ground only applicable to account officers? What about other officers with HNDs who have also been affected by similar circulars?”

The source also criticised NEPC’s claim that it prioritises officers who have remained on the same grade level for over three years, calling the claim misleading and inaccurate.

Speaking to SaharaReporters, the source stated that a review of the list allegedly created by Nonye reveals that the nominees expected to be promoted to the directorate level do not possess the required qualifications, specifically a master’s degree in accounting, as stipulated in the civil service rules.

"Those same people were disqualified last year—so what changed this year?" the source queried.

Meanwhile, some of the aggrieved staff members complained to SaharaReporters that instead of simply delisting the names of officers not qualified for promotion from the 2025 promotion list, the NEPC allegedly paid N5 million to a civil society group that visited the NEPC Headquarters in Abuja in solidarity with the aggrieved staff.

The workers have accused Nonye of displaying bias in favour of individuals from the South-East region—her place of origin—by granting them undue advantages on the job, even when they lack the required qualifications.

The group was said to have visited the Export House on Thursday, July 3, to register their displeasure over NEPC's handling of the situation and to put NEPC on notice of their plan to picket the office on the day of the promotion exams.

Another source told SaharaReporters that Nonye directed a Director and a Deputy Director to negotiate with the group where money was said to have exchanged hands to frustrate further investigation against the NEPC boss, who was accused of nepotism, abuse of office, and deliberate violation of established civil service procedures ahead of the Council’s 2025 promotion exercise.

The source said that after the payment was made, the group promised not to investigate again. The source added that another group has also sent a letter, stating they will be coming next week.

Meanwhile, a circular dated November 7, 2022, obtained by SaharaReporters, made no provision for unqualified staff members to be permitted to take promotion examinations on humanitarian grounds.

The circular stated, "I am directed to refer to your letter Ref. No.: BRR/736/VI/144 of 6th October, 2022 on the above subject and clarify that by the provisions of circular Ref. No. HCSF/SPSO/ODD/NCE/CND.100/S.10/III/104 of 12th April, 2021 (copy attached herewith) provides that all Professional Certificates shall no longer be used to enter into any Cadre in the Public/Civil Service; but Academic qualifications, only.

"Accordingly, a holder of Higher National Diploma (HND) and Professional Certificate (ICAN, ANAN or COREN) without a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) plus a Master’s Degree OR a degree in the relevant field from a recognized University cannot be promoted into the Directorate level in the Public Service as stipulated in the extant Schemes of Service. For avoidance of doubt, all HND holders terminate on SGL.14 in the Public Service; whether with or without Professional Qualification."

The aggrieved staff maintained that their publication did not claim the officers in question had already been promoted, but rather highlighted ongoing plans to promote them, in violation of existing civil service circulars. 

They pointed out that paragraph 6 of their publication clearly stated that the controversy had intensified following revelations that Nonye was allegedly preparing to promote a select group of officers contrary to current guidelines and criteria.

"We stand by our story, especially with the NEPC internal circular in which the names of the officers were listed as being eligible for promotion scheduled for 9th -11th July, 2025,” a staff member who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved workers said.

“We are also in possession of the circular in question and nominal roll of NEPC staff where the qualifications of these officers are clearly indicated. 

"We insist that the Senior Staff Committee headed by Mrs. Nonye Ayeni met on June 24, 2025, and approved a list of eligible staff for promotion. On that list were some account officers that were disqualified and their names ought not to be on the list."

They continued, "We are most surprised at this response. It is common knowledge that being HR personnel in the bank is a different ball game from being an HR officer in the civil service.

"The civil service is characterised by use of circulars, scheme of service, public service rules, financial regulations and charters that must be enforced. None of these is applicable in the banking sector.”

The aggrieved NEPC staff members also rejected claims that the 2024 promotion exercise was free and fair, alleging manipulation.

They cited a January retreat in Badagry where Nonye allegedly vowed to promote one Mr. M.A. Salami "no matter what." 

Sources stated that during the Send-Off/retirement programme of Mr. Salami and Mrs. Halima Salawu in April 2024, Nonye, without realising the implications of her speech, announced that she was glad she had kept her promise by promoting Mr. Salami to Director.

"Salami thanked her, but Mr. Dalhat Lawal Shehu reportedly interrupted to claim Salami passed the exams,” one of the sources said.

They also alleged that two 2025 candidates, Akodu and Mani, were included without approval from the Office of the Head of Service.

The aggrieved staff members told SaharaReporters that the Office of the Head of Service, from which the circular originated, cannot apply different standards to the application of its circulars.

One of the aggrieved workers said, "We challenge the NEPC to make the Head of Service's approval public.

"Knowing the working of the Public Service, we are aware that the Chief Executive Officer has unfettered access to decide where the pendulum swings. 

“By the way, where were the representatives of the Head of Service, Civil Service Commission and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment when the Senior Staff Committee at its meeting of 24th June, 2025, approved the list of eligible candidates that included the duo of Messrs Akodu and Mani and other Account staff who have been disqualified to write the promotion exercise?

"The same officers were barred from writing the promotion exams in 2024 by the same members of the Senior Staff Committee under the chairmanship of Mrs. Ayeni. So what has changed in 2025?

"Shortly after the 2024 promotion exams (June 2024), Mr. Dalhat Lawal (the same officer that signed the rejoinder) invited Mr. Mohammed Tanimu Salisu (Deputy Director), a member of the NEPC Senior Staff Committee representing Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, to speak to staff during the Mentorship programme on the implication of the circular under reference. 

“Mr. Salisu clearly explained why Messrs Akodu and Mani were barred from participating in the promotion exercise.

"The irony is that the same Mr. Salisu was a member of the Senior Staff Committee that approved and prepared the list of eligible candidates that included Messrs Akodu and Mani on 24th June, 2025.

"The records at our disposal strongly dispute the NEPC claims that ‘many staff who had been on the same grade level for over eight years were overjoyed to finally have an opportunity to sit for promotions’.

"Our enquiry revealed that since 2015, when backlogs of promotion were cleared by Mr. Segun Awolowo (the former ED/CEO), NEPC has never failed in organising annual promotion exercises. The only officers who have been unable to take promotion exams as and when due must have stagnated because of their disqualification by the extant circulars. We challenge the NEPC to provide the names of officers who were promoted in 2024 and who had spent over eight years in the same grade level.

"Similarly, the public service is rule-based. There is no instance where the NEPC has ever written to the Head of Service requesting that a staff member be allowed to take a promotion exercise on humanitarian grounds.”

Disciplinary Records Overlooked

The source noted that records show Mrs. Nkiru Uzo Nnabuife, who hails from the southeast, was appointed to head the Audit Unit despite not being the most senior or qualified officer for the position.

It was further alleged that Mrs. Nnabuife had previously faced disciplinary action, including a formal query and a suspension lasting approximately three months.

According to the source, Mr. Rilwanu Sallawu, a certified Procurement Officer, was transferred out of the procurement unit to Port Harcourt and later to Lokoja, in order to pave the way for the redeployment of Mr. Kenneth Ezeagu, who also hails from the southeast, to head the Procurement unit.

One of the aggrieved workers said, "Three other certified procurement officers posted to the NEPC from the Office of the Bureau for Public Procurement were also frustrated out of the procurement unit just for the sake Mr. Ezeagu. This is more so that Mr. Ezeagu is not a Certified Procurement Officer and ought not to be so appointed as stipulated by extant circulars.

"If a whole Director of Policy and Strategy did not see this as nepotism, then something is wrong.”

"Mrs. Esther Ikporah, who is also from the southeast, is presently the Director of Corporate Services which is the biggest and most powerful department in NEPC. It deals with Administration and Human Resources matters, among other functions," the source explained.

The source said that Mrs. Ikporah conveniently handled the transfer of Mrs. Nkiru to Audit and Mr. Kenneth to Procurement. Same with the removal of Mr. Rilwanu and Mr. Shape’ter D. Yarkwan from the Procurement unit.

The source added that Mrs. Ikoprah prepared the list of eligible officers for the 2025 promotion.

Efforts made by SaharaReporters to contact the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Eno Olotu, were unsuccessful as she did not answer her calls or respond to messages sent to her.

When contacted by SaharaReporters, Mrs. Danielle Ladi, a Deputy Director at the Office of the Head of Service, stated that there is a formal process for addressing such allegations and concerns. She advised that they should be properly documented and submitted to the Head of Service for appropriate action.